Tommy Conlon: A most astonishing accident of history
https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/tommy-conlon-a-most-astonishing-accident-of-history-36206427.html by Tommy Conlon October 8 2017 4:30 PM Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you want to find a symbol that summarises professional cycling in all its cruelty, heroism and treachery, you need look no further than Seán Kelly's bony backside. In 1987, this lion of the road was among the favourites to win the tour of Spain, La Vuelta a España. With four days to go, he was leading the race by 43 seconds; the next day he abandoned. Turned out he'd been suffering with a cyst on his perineum, caused by an ingrown hair. An online medical dictionary tells us that the male perineum is located between the scrotum and the anus. One can only imagine that a bike saddle is the last place where you'd want to be sitting with such an affliction. Kelly sat on it for four days, pounding out mile after punishing mile. The agony must have been exquis...