How a yellow jersey is dividing Brazil
It has been six months since Brazil’s first ever men’s Olympic title and I am still waiting for the first medal that will be awarded to one of my beloved country’s athletes.
I will not name names but I am going to tell you what makes them stand out in my eye; they’ve also been the shining light of my career.
These days I don’t have time to give out awards, but when I was on the world-stage as a coach, I used the word glory to describe something that I could only dream of: winning a medal.
In 2012, my dream of being a gold medallist in the world championships was so close to reach, I was told that I could no longer be a coach in my country with my status as a world-class athlete in Brazil.
Brazil was the home of my professional career which had led me to winning a silver at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. I came with that medal on my back as always, and it was a gift on the day when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
As I was about to start my career as a coach, my colleagues in the Brazilian Cycling Federation were told I would never be allowed to coach in their country again, as I would not have the ability to compete in the Olympics after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
However, when I met my wife, it was no longer about having a career and a medal that was in my pocket. It was now about having a family and being able to live with my wife and our three children.
Although it was difficult to be separated from my two children to be a new father, I managed to have some time with them.
What happened afterwards can be summarized as a miracle. I was diagnosed with a second breast cancer in late 2014, so I had started another career, teaching again.
After two and a half years, I was asked to be the head of
