One month ago, Nathan O'Neill didn't even know if he would race in the Tour de Georgia.
He was hit by a car while training in his native Australia in January and fractured his hip. Then, on March 14, after leaving a Tour press conference in Chattanooga, the SUV he was riding in wrecked on I-75 and flipped several times.
The director of communications for the Tour, Jackie Tyson, was severely injured, as was Judy Staton of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
O'Neill needed more than 60 stitches in his left forearm. He had bruising, facial lacerations and a knot on his head.
Just before the race started, O'Neill found out he had a staph infection in his arm and has been on heavy antibiotics since.
But today, the Health Net-Maxxis team cyclist overcame all the injuries to finish in third place in the time trial, 1:18 behind the winning time.
At a press conference after the race, O'Neill was asked if racing with a staph infection could further injure his health.
He laughed and said that the infection obviously hadn't hurt his racing skills so far.
