By Shane Stokes
Following a recent operation to treat endofibrosis, Navigators Insurance professional Ciarán Power got his return to training underway with some off-bike work on Monday. The Waterford rider went under the knife last month to correct a blood flow obstruction in his external iliac artery, which led to the symptoms of numbness and a loss of power.
"Everything went well," he said in recent days. "I start back in the gym on Monday. I can do half hour of swimming and half hour of running every day for two weeks. Then I can get back on bike for an hour a day for a week. After that, I will do 40 kilometres a day the next week, then progress to 60 kilometres a day. I can also do the hour a day in the gym, too."
Power says that he can ramp up his training in mid-April. He is looking at racing in Ireland in order to build his fitness, before returning to international competition. "I am looking at possibly doing the Tour of Ulster as my first race back, to test myself," he said. "I will then talk to the team and decide what the best plan is in order to return to my highest level as soon as possible."
The 29 year old had been struggling with the leg problem ever since he took thirteenth place in the Olympic Games road race in Athens. He is hoping that he will make a complete recovery and get back to that kind of form later this year. Other professionals such as Stuart O'Grady have undergone similar treatment in the past and returned to full strength, giving Power considerable encouragement.
