Andriy Grivko struggling with Ukraine's troubles as he rides in the Tour de France

Tour de France's only Ukrainian rider, Andriy Grivko, says that he fears for the freedom and safety of his compatriots back home

Andriy Grivko

(Image credit: Graham Watson)

Andriy Grivko is helping Vincenzo Nibali win the Tour de France but finds himself in a "difficult" situation with problems brewing at home in the Ukraine. The downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on Thursday further highlighted the issues that currently face Ukrainians.

"It's difficult to concentrate on the bike when you know that your family is there," Grivko told France's L'Equipe newspaper on Sunday.

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.