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13.01.2022 ( Aggiornata il 13.01.2022 17:59 )
You read it, right? The article about Sam Cox, a rider who has beaten the most terrible enemy of all - cancer - after it hit him hard and kept him away from the racetracks for a period of time. But now he’s set to return and is keener than ever.
It could be the fact that he’s British, it could be that we like a tale in which good prevails over the bad... but Sam’s story reminds us of another rider, also tough in both the saddle and in life. We’re talking about James Whitham, now a commentator for Eurosport.
Left in the dark, before shining brighter than ever
Consider this – James was part of a school of riders like Steve Hislop, Carl Fogarty and John McGuinness. He would compete in the notorious Road Races, including the legendary Tourist Trophy. And he wouldn’t just show up and take part, he was strong and loved to jump and wheelie, despite being young and inexperienced.
The Brit began to make a name for himself in the British Superbike series and then the 500 world championship, going on to earn himself a WorldSBK ride. Just as he was starting to get really quick, aboard the Ducati 916 of team Cinelli, he was suddenly struck down by a malignant tumour, in one of the worst possible places - his head.
It’s called Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and it’s a beast. But rather than telling you how he suffered, we prefer to focus on the strength, bravery and determined he showed in coming through it. He was stronger than ever in fact. During one interview in 1996, number 69 stated: "Am I scared of crashing and hurting myself? Me? That’s nothing. What do you think? I’ve recovered from cancer, nothing scares me".
Brno 1999: a broken pelvis for James, but he recovers fast
We were saying? Ah, yes. So Whitham returned to SBK even stronger than before. If you saw him ride, you’ll know what we mean. Imagine the classic Superbiker, always sideways and never restrained.
1997 saw him return to the podium with Suzuki, and he was back on the rostrum again in 1998. Then came the call from Kenny Roberts, who had a Modenas KR3 ready for him in the 500 class, a bike that was lacking in terms of results. It didn’t go well for him, as a crash at Brno brought the race to a halt and also left him with a broken pelvis. And so he had to take another break, commenting: "I’ll play the drums better than before, right?" And he did.
When he returned, in Supersport, he excelled. He immediately won the race at Donington Park, leaving his wife crying in disbelief. And to think he was there almost by chance. He continued to do well from 2000 to 2002, enjoying race wins and podiums and, above all, the admiration of his rivals, fans and colleagues. James Whitham, believe us, knows what it means to take on the toughest of enemies. And beat them.
Translated by Heather Watson
Official: Valentino Rossi will compete in the GT World Challenge Europe
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