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Sir Dave Brailsford reveals prostate cancer diagnosis made before Tour de France

Team Ineos boss finds out tomorrow results of 5-hour operation he underwent last month

Sir Dave Brailsford has revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer before July’s Tour de France, and will find out tomorrow whether a five-hour operation he underwent last month was successful.

Speaking to The Times, the Team Ineos boss said: “There's bound to be fear. It's the great unknown. I think I'm resilient, tough, I can put up with a lot but in hospital one day I was overwhelmed, to be honest.”

The 55-year-old, who earlier this year secured the team’s future by bringing in Ineos as owner and sponsor after broadcaster Sky had said it was ending its 10-year sponsorship, was present at the Tour de France, including seeing Egan Bernal seal his overall victory in Paris.

However, he admitted that he had pushed himself too far, saying: "One day I woke up asleep on my desk, literally crashed out on it," he said. "I'm thinking 'this is just a hassle. I'm too busy'. Luckily I have a brilliant doctor who put his foot down.

"My attitude had been ridiculous, really, looking back. That was the first time I was stopped in my tracks.

"I could easily have got into a hole, gone into myself which is normally what I do. I set myself a game plan. I talk to athletes about choosing your attitude. Now it was up to me.”

He continued: "It's easy to think 'why is it happening to me?' I've worked hard on my health so you can get bitter, angry, frustrated. I had to learn to accept it. Talking about it among the team was a massive help.

"Luckily four or five days in, someone sent me the perfect text: 'This is not a test of personality or motivation or how fast you can go. You need to heal. The only thing that can help that is time'."

Brailsford, who once had ambitions to become a professional cyclist himself, still uses a bike to help keep in shape and regularly posts training and nutrition tips as well as details of his rides to Strava – including this year, the Mortirolo, which he conquered while at the Giro d’Italia with the team.

More recent posts have included walks and, last week, a picture of him on an exercise bike, with the lack of rides now explained by his recovery from his operation.

According to Prostate Cancer UK, “there are more than 200,000 men living with and beyond the disease” across the country, and you can find out more information about the condition and the charity’s work on its website.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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Libtardproud | 4 years ago
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  At 68, just began hormone treatment, to be followed with radiation. The surgical option was not considered, as there was slight duct involvement beyond the prostate margins. Prognosis is still as good or better than surgery. I know one who is beyond the five year cancer-free date, but still suffers neuropathy related to the surgery itself, so surgery is not automatically an easy choice. May be the U.S. criteria are different from England, or he opted for the quick-immediate "cure" surgery implies.

Either way, my specialist said the past ten years of poo-pooing the significance of the simple PSA test by the general medical community has pushed many like myself into the more serious realm that would have been more treatable two-four years ago, with an earlier diagnosis.

Advice: Men over fifty, get the PSA every year, along with a physical. If is rises beyond 7 or 8, or jumps several units in a year, advocate for a prostate biopsy, and find another doctor if yours balks.

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fixation80 | 4 years ago
2 likes

I was diagnosed 48% cancer on on side of my prostate and on my own when informed. I lost my partner six years previous to breast cancer so food for thought. I chose radiotherapy for treatment, 37 consecutive doses. I continued to ride my bike, in fact part way through my treatment I was forced, due to unforeseen circumstances, to ride my bike to the hospital. A round trip daily of forty miles for six days. Just staying positive is all you can do. I continued to attend club runs at weekends as well enjoying the company of cycling friends. There are no guarantees when faced with the news but nine years on I am (81) and still enjoying my rides and evening ten time trials.

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kil0ran | 4 years ago
4 likes

Read the symptoms and go and get checked. It's moderately embarrassing but hey, most of us walk around in public in skintight lycra so we should be used to that.

Having had a few symptoms (and knowing someone with terminal prostate cancer) I went and got checked, in my case its a combination of being overweight, sitting at a desk all day, and plonking the area on a bike saddle regularly that's resulted in an enlargement that's benign.

 

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flat4 replied to kil0ran | 4 years ago
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kil0ran wrote:

Read the symptoms and go and get checked. It's moderately embarrassing but hey, most of us walk around in public in skintight lycra so we should be used to that.

Having had a few symptoms (and knowing someone with terminal prostate cancer) I went and got checked, in my case its a combination of being overweight, sitting at a desk all day, and plonking the area on a bike saddle regularly that's resulted in an enlargement that's benign.

 

 

Post of the day right there from @kil0ran. Cyclists have a mildly higher risk then the general pop. So get yourself checked. Very treatable when it's an early detection.

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leaway2 | 4 years ago
0 likes

GWS soon Sir Dave. If anyone can beat it you can.

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peted76 | 4 years ago
9 likes

Best wishes to Dave Brailsford, I hope he recovers quickly.

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