Cycling legend Alberto Contador has revealed he is recovering from surgery that saw dozens of benign tumours removed from his body.
The two-time Tour de France winner has posted a video to his large fanbase on social media showing his legs and torso completely covered in bandages.
Contador, 40, went under the knife to remove the tumours, known as lipomas, from his body and confirmed he will not be on the bike for a while as he begins his healing process.
Lipomas are harmless fatty lumps that develop under the skin and the Spaniard has now taken the opportunity to undergo surgery in the winter months to remove them.
And Contador was in good spirits after confirming the procedure had finished to remove the non-cancerous lumps.
In a social media video, Contador's lifts his shirt up to show his torso swathed in bandages, while his legs are also completely covered, with plasters on his arms.
"Yesterday it was time to go to the repair shop," Contador told his 905,000 Instagram followers last week. "I needed to get some lipomas removed and it turned out I had over 100! I won't be riding for a while."
Since providing the update to the cycling community, Contador has posted photos all smiles and enjoying Christmas, proving he has not let the surgery overshadow his festive period.
Retired Contador, known as 'El Pistolero', was one of the finest cyclists of his generation and is a seven-time Grand Tour winner. He has won each of cycling's biggest races, the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España, on more than one occasion in a prolific riding career.
Contador, who stopped competing in 2017, is one of just a handful of riders to have won all three Grand Tours, and now mixes his time working on his AURUM bike brand with commentating duties on Eurosport's cycling coverage.
