26 May 2009
Nick Dempsey, the Be Number 1 athlete and 2004 Olympic windsurfing bronze medallist, has been hit by an untimely bout of illness that has seriously affected his training schedule in the build-up to the fifth round of the ISAF World Cup, which starts tomorrow in Medemblik, Holland.
"I have been suffering from a cold and a sore throat for the past 10 days and I have been laid pretty low, to be honest," said Dempsey, who is also due to lead a cycling team from Land's End to John O'Groats next month as part of the Be Number 1 LEJOG project. "Whether I will able to compete in the Holland Regatta is a bit touch and go at the moment. I'll just have to wait and see how I feel in the morning."
Missing the Medemblik leg of the World Cup would be a bitter pill for Dempsey to have to swallow, for he has been in decent form recently. After opting to miss the season-opening events in Australia and the USA, the world No 7 finished third in both Majorca and France to lift himself into fifth place in this season's World Cup standings, just 12 points behind leader Joao Rodrigues of Portugal.
Mind you, the 'big one' for Dempsey - at least as far as the current season is concerned - is the World Championships, which take place in Weymouth in September.
"One of my reasons for deciding to do LEJOG - apart from the obvious one of trying to raise as much money as possible for charity - was because it fits in very well with my training programme for the World Championships.
"I started cycling as part of my training programme back in 2000 and it has been an invaluable tool ever since, because it doesn't have the high impact of running. I make good use of the cross-trainer, but I also love being out on the open road and covering some serious miles.
"So for me the ultimate ride has to be Land's End to John O'Groats. I am really looking forward to it, my health notwithstanding. Hopefully, I will be back to rude health by 7 June, when we depart from Land's End."
