The West Bromwich Albion and England goalkeeper reveals how football injuries have turned him into a cycling addict
Injury got me back on a bike. As a kid I had a mountain bike. Me and a load of mates would go riding in the woods nearby, but it was only when I got injured as a footballer that I got into cycling again. I’ve had three cruciate ligament injuries – two in the right knee and one on the left – and for a big guy like me running for rehab isn’t an option.
Riding London-to-Paris took my cycling up a gear. About four years ago I did my left knee. I was about six weeks into the eight month rehabilitation, training on a Wattbike, when the charity CureLeukaemia. co.uk asked if I wanted to ride London to Paris. It was amazing. Riding 100-mile days for four days on the bounce opened my eyes to what cycling can bring; the camaraderie, the lovely scenery, especially in France. It just made me hungry to do more.
This story is from the December 2017 edition of Cycling Plus.
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This story is from the December 2017 edition of Cycling Plus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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