‘My goal is simply to allow my body to get used to the pressure’
Brit Jonny Bellis is aiming for a normal season next year after suffering the affects of a life-threatening coma. He took another step towards normality when he met with his Saxo Bank team-mates in Spain last week for a pre-season training camp.
“My goal is simply to allow my body to get used to the pressure during the races,” Bellis said in a press release. “In time, I hope to get back to the level I was before and then to get even better.”
Bellis crashed on his scooter near his home in Quarrata, Italy, on September 19, 2009. Doctors induced a coma for four weeks and listed him in critical but stable condition, but he eventually improved and recovered in London. He contracted a condition known as Peritonitis when a feeding tube was incorrectly fitted and his weight dropped to 46kgs. He left the hospital in February, but had to work hard to re-build his strength.
As part of Saxo Bank’s team-building camp, the 22-year-old explained his accident to his team-mates, including Richie Porte and Alberto Contador.
“It was great for me to let everyone know what I’ve been through this past year so everyone gets a better understanding of me,” said Bellis.
“In September 2010, I had my last operation and finally, I’m on my way back to the road. I lost a lot of muscle and weighed in at 46 kilos.
“I see life differently now. Minor everyday problems don’t get too big. Compared to what I’ve been through this past year, I’m just happy to be alive.”
Bellis returned at the Manx national and British national championships in June. He raced 150 kilometres of France’s one-day classic, the GP Ouest in Plouay and the first stage of the Tour of Britain.
The “stage in the Tour of Britain was a victory for me. To feel the butterflies in my stomach the night and the morning before the race, and to put the race numbers on my back was an excellent experience.”
At the Saxo Bank camp on the Spanish Island of Fuerteventura, Bellis tried wind surfing for the first time and took part in other team building exercises. He also sat down with team owner, Bjarne Riis and planned his season.
“The support from the team has been unbelievable and more than I could have hoped for,” Bellis continued. “Bjarne has given me the time to recover and has been there for me in every little need I have had. I really appreciate the help and support from the whole team.”
Bellis started his professional career with Saxo Bank last year and began his season at the Vuelta a la Region de Murcia in March. The team has not released his race schedule yet, but directeur sportif Brad McGee recently told VeloNation that he would start competing in the Challenge Mallorca races in February, then continue with Belgian races.