CHICAGO — American cycling star Davis Phinney is recovering from two brain operations that were done this month in an effort to relieve some Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
The 48-year-old cyclist and Boulder resident competed in the Olympics and in 1986 became the first American to win a road stage of the Tour de France. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago.
“He’s doing good right now,” said son Taylor Phinney, a cyclist who is expected to ride at the Beijing Games and was part of an Olympic gathering Monday. “They have yet to turn the machine on. They have to let the brain heal.” Barring complications, a pacemaker embedded into Phinney’s brain last week will be turned on April 25. The device will send electrical signals to essentially trick the mind into ignoring certain effects of Parkinson’s. If successful, there could be immediate relief.
Davis Phinney is to remain in Palo Alto, Calif., where the surgery was done, until April 28. He is then to return home to Boulder. He plans to accompany Taylor to South Africa for a junior world championship event this summer, then to the Olympics.
“We have a lot of confidence that it’ll all work out,” said Connie Carpenter-Phinney, Davis’ wife and a 1984 U.S. Olympic cycling gold medalist.
