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Spanish Cycling Champ Struggles To Gain Celiac Diagnosis

November 18, 2011

Spanish Cycling Champ Struggles To Gain Celiac Diagnosis

VeloNews interviews pro cyclist José Ivan Gutiérrez.

In an interview with VeloNews this week, pro cyclist José Ivan Gutiérrez chronicled his struggle to gain a celiac diagnosis.

Gutiérrez, who won Eneco tours in 2007-08 and the Spanish national road title in 2010, went winless in 2011. Following one of his worst seasons to date, the three-time Spanish national time-trial champion on Movistar underwent a battery of testing to identify the cause of persistent health problems that had plagued him throughout year.

“Now that I eliminated products such as wheat and oats, I feel perfect again. It was
something very simple, but the hard part was figuring out what it was.”

Armed with a diagnosis, Gutiérrez is putting his disappointing 2011 season behind him, and setting his sights on some ambitious goals.

“Now that I know what was ailing me, I feel very motivated for next season,” he said. “I want to win a stage as soon as possible and to return to my best level for the time trials. I want to help my team in the Tour de France and enter the Olympics in London with the national team.”

Click here to read: Gutiérrez hopes for better luck in 2012 with gluten-free diet.

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