Simon Richardson, the gold medal-winning Paralympic cyclist left fighting for his life in a crash last month, has vowed to get back on his bike and return to his pre-accident form.
The Welshman, who suffered multiple fractures to his spine and pelvis in the incident near Bridgend on 17 August, faces up to three years out and is certain to miss next year’s Paralympic Games in London.
In an interview with BBC Wales, the 44-year-old said he barely remembers a thing from the crash, apart from vague memories of unconsciousness. He said not knowing where he was or recognising his family when he woke up was “terrifying”.
Richardson, who became a Paralympian following a previous cycling accident in 2001, added it was pleasing but strange to hit the headlines of local newspapers throughout the UK for being in an accident, rather than his exploits on the bike in Beijing.
Sponsor and friend Phil Jones, who has been keeping people updated on Richardson's condition throughout his ordeal via his blog, said the cyclist had received a call from a UCI drug tester looking to conduct a random drug test at his home. He added they had been sympathetic to his reasons for having to miss the test.
