David Canada

David Cañada Gracia (Zaragoza, March 11, 1975 - Graus, Huesca, May 28, 2016) was a Spanish cyclist.

Biography

He made his professional debut in 1996 with the ONCE team. He achieved important victories in 2000, making a place for himself in the international squad and pointing to a promising future.

In that year's Tour de France he came fifth in the prologue stage, an individual time trial that David Millar won ahead of Armstrong, Jalabert, Jan Ullrich and David Cañada himself. Days later, he donned the white jersey for best young rider by winning the fourth stage, a team time trial with ONCE, and rose to second position in the general classification. He finally finished the Tour de France in 33rd place.

Unfortunately, a series of injuries (in both Achilles tendons, fractures in the ulna and radius, necrosis in a wrist and even a heart problem for which he had to undergo surgery) prevented him from winning at Mapei and Quick Step.

In 2006, and already in the ranks of Saunier Duval - Prodir, Cañada seemed to break his bad luck with a general victory in the Volta a Catalunya that returned him to the elite of international cycling.

In 2007 misfortune befell him again. He was diagnosed with skin cancer (melanoma), for which he underwent surgery, apparently successfully.

However, in 2008 the swelling of a lymph node in the armpit alerted the doctors and after a biopsy it was found that he had developed a lymphoma. The affected nodes were removed.

On January 21, 2010, at a press conference held in Zaragoza, he announced his final retirement from cycling as he had not found a team to continue as a professional. Likewise, he announced that he was fully recovered from the cancer he suffered.

On May 28, 2016, he died from a bicycle accident during the "Puertos de Ribagorza" (Graus, Huesca).

On January 14, 2017, he was posthumously named Adoptive Son of the town of Ejea de los Caballeros (Zaragoza).

Honours of Prizes

2000

• Return to Murcia, plus 2 stages
• Sarthe Circuit, plus 1 stage

2006

• Volta to Catalonia

Results in Grand Tours