Tom Danielson, former American cyclist, revealed in March 2023 that he had been diagnosed with a tumor in his hand. This news came as a huge shock to the 45-year-old former gregarious Lance Armstrong, who raced with the Discovery Channel and Garmin teams.
Removing the tumor required surgery that led to the amputation of his middle finger, followed by two months of rehabilitation. During the operation, the three remaining fingers were repositioned to compensate for the loss.
Gratitude
In an emotional Twitter post, Danielson reflected on this challenging time and shared a look ahead. The post included a photo of his hand, clearly showing the finger amputation.
“Despite the reluctance to talk about the tumor, as many people face more severe forms than mine, I feel gratitude,” Danielson said.
“My hand is a daily reminder of the second chance I received. The pain I feel keeps me alert and striving to improve every day. Despite everything, since March 2023, I have maintained my training routine, balanced diet, good sleep and have tried to accept myself as I am.”
The fight goes on
Despite the progress, Danielson admitted that fear remains, especially when it’s time for another check-up. “Every new scan scares me, but so far all the results have come back clean. It reminds me to do my best at the things I can control instead of fearing the things I can’t,” Danielson said.
Danielson’s Controversial Past
During his career, Tom Danielson has had a controversial history in sports. Winner of a stage in the Vuelta in 2006 and with several top 10 in the general ranking of this competition, Danielson was caught for using prohibited substances twice.
Later, in 2005 and 2006, it was found that he had used blood doping. As a result, in 2012 he was suspended for six months. After the suspension ended in 2013, he signed with the Garmin team, but was caught again in 2015. His contract was not renewed and he ended his career.
