Cyclist Alex Dowsett, 32, surprised everyone last weekend by winning stage 8 at the Giro d’Italia, a prestigious European race.
Not bad for a cyclist who is unaffiliated with a racing team for 2021, but probably not for long, say watchers of world cycling.
Alex Dowsett Claims Potential Career-Saving Stage Win
Watch highlights of Dowsett’s victory.
His win – and a joyous photograph – even inspired some social media memes.
Dowsett, who’s from the United Kingdom, was a toddler when his parents learned he had hemophilia. They steered their son to swimming, which got him in such great physical shape that he tried cycling. It stuck.
Over his long athletic career, Dowsett has supported others in the bleeding disorders community. He appeared in a video for the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) to raise awareness about the importance of plasma donation. Medicines for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders are derived from donated plasma.
