Torstein Træen rides to fifth in Tour de Langkawi summit finish just three months after cancer treatment
Norwegian rider was diagnosed with testicular cancer after a routine doping control revealed worrying levels of a key cancer indicator.
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Just three months after he was treated for testicular cancer this summer, Uno-X rider Torstein Træen rode to fifth place in the tough summit finish of Genting Highlands on stage 3 of the Tour de Langkawi.
Træen was part of a strong group of climbers that was chasing down leaders Ivan Sosa (Movistar) and Hugh Carthy (EF Education First-EasyPost) on the hors categorie ascent. In the end, he rode through for fifth at 2:10 behind the stage winner Sosa.
It was a solid result for the Norwegian but made all the more impressive given his season.
Træen was diagnosed with testicular cancer in May after a routine doping control revealed high levels HCG, a key indicator of cancer in men. He received a call from the anti-doping inspector, who gave him the news.
“I thought it was nonsense at first, but then they told me I could have testicular cancer,” he told the Norwegian publication VG Sporten earlier this year.
Also read: Uno-X Pro rider recovering from surgery after doping control revealed testicular cancer
The 27-year-old had been enjoying a strong start to his season, taking ninth overall at the Volta a Catalunya in March and winning the mountain classification at the Tour of the Alps in April.
Following the call from the doping inspector Træen went for further examinations and had a surgery to remove a testicle. A 15 mm tumor was found, but subsequent tests showed that the cancer had not spread any further.
Træen was soon back to training following his surgery and he returned to racing at the Baltic Chain Tour at the end of August. His form has been gradually improving recently and he finished seventh at the six-day CRO Race.