Professional Cyclist Shares Shocking Pictures of His Leg Muscles
These are the jaw-dropping images of former Tour de France top-10 finisher Janez Brajkovic, taken ahead of the CRO, the race formerly known as the Tour of Croatia.
Posting to Instagram, the 35-year-old, who was suspended in July last year for testing positive for a contaminated food supplement, has recently returned to the sport and gave his followers an insight into the commitment and dedication it takes to get back to professional cycling. Not to mention the physical strain it has put on his body.
It’s been a tumultuous time for the cyclist, who was tipped for big things. Back in August, the former World Under-23 Time Trial champion revealed he is battling with an eating disorder known as bulimia, and claims it was a contaminated food supplement, the only thing he could stomach, that resulted him being banned for over a year.
“I took a meal replacement, it was contaminated, but that was the only thing I could keep inside,” he said. “It happened to me that there were no days I would not cry before embarking on a ride. I was desperate and depressed.”
Speaking openly in a candid blog post: “It’s about poor relationships with food, disordered eating which became an eating disorder, bulimia. It happened quickly and before I knew it, I realised I was not in control anymore. It had me under control, no matter what.
“Being such a taboo topic, I couldn’t just tell someone and ask for help. I learned to live with it, hoping I was going to be okay.”
It's only about not fucking it up now 💯
A post shared by Jani Brajkovic (@janibrajkovic) on Sep 29, 2019 at 5:15am PDT
What’s more worrying was Brajkovic’s revelation about fellow cyclists. “Every team I’ve been on, from Continental to Pro Continental to WorldTour, I’ve had team-mates struggling. There were at least five or six with an eating disorder, many more with disordered eating behaviours.”
While we have come a long way breaking down barriers with regards to mental health, it’s clear there are still many topics that are considered taboo and not openly spoken about. Eating disorders should be treated like physical injuries, allowing athletes to speak out, get help and seek the right treatments. Until that happens, cases like this will continue to happen.
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