World cyclocross champion Zdenek Stybar has had a successful operation to remove a cyst from his saddle area, Sporza reports. The 24-year-old Czech has been suffering discomfort for a long time, but now the pain should go away, he hopes.
He had considered ignoring the problem, but it refused to just go away and he has been forced to act. “There was really no alternative,” Stybar told the Belgian media, “I was all for muddling along, but it was not possible to go on any longer.”
“Now everything has been removed I’m finally rid of that nasty pain,” he continued. “I’m also glad that it has happened, so that my preparation for the cyclocross season won’t be disrupted.”
“I now have 14 days off my bike,” he concluded, “then I can begin light training.”
“Styby” enjoyed an almost perfect 2009/10 season, winning the season-long World Cup and Superprestige series’, as well as retaining his national title and winning the World championships on his home course in Tabor, Czech Republic. With 2009 World champion Niels Albert, the Czech is expected to be one of the dominant riders in World cyclocross for the next few years.