Alberto Contador undergoes surgery to remove over 100 benign tumours

Belgian Remco Evenepoel of QuickStep Alpha Vinyl and EoloKometa general manager Alberto Contador pictured after stage 20 of the 2022 edition of the Vuelta a Espana Tour of Spain cycling race from Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada 181km Spain Saturday 10 September 2022 BELGA PHOTO ANN BRAECKMAN Photo by ANN BRAECKMAN BELGA MAG Belga via AFP Photo by ANN BRAECKMANBELGA MAGAFP via Getty Images
Alberto Contador with race winner Remco Evenepoel at the 2022 Vuelta a España (Image credit: ANN BRAECKMANBELGA MAGAFP via Getty Images)

Alberto Contador announced via Instagram earlier this week he is taking some time off from his duties in the cycling community to recover from surgery. The retired "El Pistolero" had more than 100 fatty lipomas removed on Dec. 21. 

Lipomas are fatty tumors, usually non-cancerous, that develop between the skin and muscles. Their removal can be done under local anaesthetic injections, and each lipoma removal can take between 20-45 minutes. The recovery process can take up to three to four weeks to completely heal.

A former professional and two-time cyclo-cross US national champion, Beard is also an award-winning journalist and cycling commentator. Since leaving competition, she has written for several major cycling media outlets, worked as media director for major US stage races and consulted with men's and women's professional cycling teams.

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