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Leda Cox Retires from Pro Cycling

January 7, 2010 | Women’s Pro Cycling Press Release | www.ledacox.co.uk

West Londoner Leda Cox has retired after eight years in the professional women's peloton due to a debilitating spinal injury. Cox, now 35, is one of Britain’s most experienced professionals from the last decade, having raced for teams in Holland, Belgium, Italy, France and America in a career that has seen her quietly ploughing a furrow in world cycling. Her results speak for themselves with 30 wins including two international stage races, three national medals on both track and road, 24 Great Britain team caps and prestigious wins in the Coupe de France and Tour of Tucson, Arizona which both came in 2008.

Two highlights from Leda's career as a cyclist. Photos: ‘ledacox.co.uk’

Cox can actually be fortunate to have had a cycling career at all as in only her second season racing as an amateur she crashed heavily just metres from winning the national criterium championship in a solo breakaway. The crash resulted in eight months out from sport and spinal surgery which left her surgeon predicting she would never ride a bike again. Ironically, this was the turning point in her career and she turned pro with Dutch outfit Vitron-Wiltra less than a year after surgery and went on to become British number one in the same year.

Cox’s career-ending second bout of spinal surgery came following a multiple rider crash in the 2009 Tour De Grande Montreal in Canada where she was racing with her French team ESGL 93 GSD-Gestion.  The surgery, a double discectomy,  which involved removing part of her spine has left her with a condition known as Corda Equina which affects the control of one leg and comes with other nerve based complications.

On the announcement of her retirement Leda said: “I’ve been very fortunate to have such a long and varied career in so many countries and with so many great riders.  I’m a Christian and my faith has been such an important part in my cycling career. I have always tried to use my sport to honour God for the talents he has blessed me with."

Leda giving her all in the sprint for the finish line.

"I’ve also been blessed with some great people around me who have been part of making it all happen. I want to thank all the background people who make West London such a hot bed for cycling. They know who they are. I also want to thank Neil Hassan and Andy Verral who helped set me on my path into Elite cycling and the late Ian Goodhew who did so much for women’s cycling over the last 20 years."

"It’s people like Ian that have kept domestic cycling going and have nurtured talent on our shores to export beyond them. I also can’t go without thanking my greatest supporter, my husband Jez, who has put up with only ever seeing me in the winter since we married 7 years ago! Currently I am using my time to concentrate on getting as mobile and pain free as possible. A massive thanks to anyone that has had a part in my career. You know who you are.”