Aussie pro Amber Pate in recovery after tumour removal

Australian road racer Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) is recovering from surgery earlier this week to remove a malignant tumour from her pancreas.

The 31-year-old, who's in her fourth season on the WorldTour with Liv AlUla Jayco, took to social media on Thursday to explain her absence from racing in recent months.

"From a bike crash in January, on the broad scans checking for any breaks ... it was mentioned to get closer check on the pancreas, as it showed some slight enlargement," she wrote on Instagram. "Once I returned to Europe we got these scans done, followed by a biopsy. To which they found a very small / very slow growing malignant tumour in my pancreas."

Pate flew home to Australia and eventually went under the knife earlier this week.

"After a long 6h surgery (distal pancreatectomy) on Tuesday, all went extremely successfully to remove the tumour," Pate wrote. "And I am recovering nicely.

"Life has indeed thrown a curveball, but I am now stoked to be in recovery and full focus forward to get back to Europe to my teammates when my body is ready."

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