SA cyclist Cox loses fight for his life

SA cyclist Cox loses fight for his life

Posted on 01 August 2007 - 07:40

Ryan Cox, one of South Africa's top cyclists, lost the fight for his life in a Gauteng hospital early on Wednesday morning after the main artery in his left leg burst on Tuesday.
The SuperSport Zone wishes to express its sincere condolences to his family and friends. Ryan was one of the first people to work with SuperCycling when the Zone first appeared in 1999.

Cox had recently undergone surgery in France after South Africa's Tour de France ace, Robert Hunter, had lent him the money for the operation.

Clint Curtis, who coached the Barloworld rider when he was a junior, said on Tuesday Cox had been having problems with his left leg for some time.

"He sometimes lost the feeling in the leg after cycling and had little power in the leg towards the end of some races.

"Ryan then went to see one of the leading doctors in France. It was found that the artery had, as a consequence of all the cycling, become knotted as sometimes happens to a garden hose.

"It often happens to cyclists because they spend so many hours on the bicycles, with their legs bent while pedalling.

"The doctor in France has performed surgery of this type on about 600 cyclists, among them Stuart O'Grady, who has worn the yellow jersey in the Tour de France."