Supercross Starting to Look Safe

5 GP riders hurt the same day

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www.motocrossactionmag.com

Supercross is starting to look safe after GP riders Todd Waters, Max nagl, Mike Kras and Genn Coldenhoff are all hurt on the same day. 

Todd Waters (47) was the Cinderfella rider of the Grand Prix series when he was picked out of world motocross obscurity in Australia to ride for the new Husqvarna team. Sadly, his 2014 season will be put on hold while he heals up.

Australian Husky rider Todd Waters broke his leg, collarbone and hip when he crashed into a fallen rider on the blind side of a jump at the Ersel practice track. Max Nagl and Mike Kras were involved in the same crash, although they haven’t confirmed their injuries. Waters, who is currently seventh in the 450 World Championships, posted this, “Sorry to inform you guys about the bad news but today in training I come over a big jump and 4 guys had crashed. I landed on a bike. Broke my leg, collarbone and hip.”

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Max Nagl (12), Mike Kras and Todd Waters were all injured when they landed on a fallen rider over a blind jump at a practice track. Nagl may have broken his wrist, but is waiting for a second opinion.

Max Nagl injured his wrists and although he went to a Dutch hospital by ambulance, he is waiting to see his personal doctore before making an announcement about his condition. Mike Kras, the current leader in the Dutch National Championships, was the first to hit the downed rider and suffered a punctured lung and cracked vertabrae. He will not need surgery, but will be out of action for a couple weeks.

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Glenn Coldenhoff will lose his third place in the 250 World Championship standings while healing up from his injuries.

Meanwhile, Glenn Coldenhoff was injured in a crash at Belgium’s Honda Park. He suffered knee and leg damage and will require surgery. Coldenhoff is third in the 250 GP standings behind Tonus and Herlings, but will be out of action for four months at least.

Official Announcements:

Todd Waters:  

Husqvarna Motorcycles regretfully announces that Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Todd Waters has suffered multiple injuries, sustained during a crash while practicing at Eersel in Holland on Wednesday, April 23.

Todd suffered a broken left Tibia and Fibula – a clean fracture in the middle of both bones – plus a break to his right collarbone and a small fracture to his right hip. Todd underwent surgery last night at the Eindhoven University Hospital, which specialises in sports orthopaedics, where doctor successfully inserted a Tibial Nail into his left leg. Todd is expected to be released from hospital in the coming days.

Gaining essential sand practice in preparation for round six of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Valkenswaard, The Netherlands on May 4, Waters was involved in a freak accident. Cresting a blind jump, he was faced with a multi-rider pile up. Unable to take evasive action the young Australian landed on an already stricken bike, sustaining his injuries.

Waters – who currently sits seventh overall in the MXGP standings – is expected to be out of action for up to three months.

Husqvarna Motorcycles wishes Todd all the very best for a speedy recovery.

Antti Pyrhönen: “This has been a very unfortunate day. Todd basically had very bad luck. But this is the fact, and we have to accept it and focus on his recovery. Todd is a strong and positive person, I’m sure he will be back sooner than we expect. It’s a real shame – this was not his mistake. Todd was doing so well this season, improving all the time. Doctors have told him that it could be up to three months before he is back to full fitness. The team will be fully behind him during this challenging time.”

Max Nagl :  

After a full medical examination, following yesterday’s crash whilst testing in Eersel, Holland, Max Nagl has been confirmed with a broken scaphoid in his right hand and a slight metacarpal fracture in his left hand. His ribs are sore but there is no damage to the bones.

Max will undergo surgery to his scaphoid tomorrow in Belgium. He is initially setting his sights on a return to action at the MXGP of Italy in Maggiora, 14-15 June, although at this point it is difficult to predict the speed of recovery.

During the test, Max was one of four MXGP riders to be involved in a crash as they crested a jump to find an amateur rider crashed on the landing. Unsighted before the jump, and with no marshals or yellow flags to warn of the danger, Max was unable to take avoiding action and landed heavily on the two bikes already on the ground.

Honda and Team HRC stand fully by Max in his recovery, and wish he and all involved riders a full and fast recovery.

Nagl Interview with www.mxlarge.com

Max Nagl was involved in a terrible five rider accident at the Eersel circuit in Holland yesterday, and what has become a black day for the sport all riders were badly injured (not to mention the injury to Glenn Coldenhoff in a crash in Belgium).

Nagl who has been really consistent this season and looked assured to continue with HRC for 2015, but that is now also in some doubt as he fights to recover from his wrist injuries. Speaking to Nagl this morning about the accident and he tells us what he expects from the coming weeks and months.

MXLarge: Max, I can imagine you are not on top of the World today?

Nagl: No, not so good at the moment.

MXlarge: Reading reports of the accident, it sounds like a really horrible experience for everyone involved. Can you tell me how the accident happened?

Nagl: We were in Eersel training in Holland. Training was going good. Then two riders collided over a jump and crashed on the other side of the jump. It was Mike Kras and one amateur rider. I came over the jump and I crashed into them, and then Todd and another rider crashed into us.

MXlarge: Have you experienced anything like this before, was it like a racing accident?

Nagl: Whenever you crash it isn’t nice, a situation like this is always shit, and for sure when it isn’t your fault. If you are the rider and you do something wrong, then ok, but there was nothing I could do, I just came over the jump and there were two bikes on the ground, I couldn’t do anything.

MXlarge: The word is you have a broken wrist, can you confirm this?

Nagl: I cannot say about this, because they took me to a hospital in Holland but this wasn’t a good hospital, but tonight I go to my Dr. Claud  and we do some scans and check everything. I really don’t know, I just know it is both hands and it gives a lot of pain, but I don’t know for sure what is wrong. I don’t know if my season is done, they will tell me this afternoon.

MXlarge: Obviously you have had a good season until now, and shown what a good rider you are. Your contacts with HRC stops at the end of the season and that must now be a concern for you, to come back and prove you deserve your ride for 2015?

Nagl: It is never a good feeling getting injured with your contract ending. My main aim is to get my hands healed up and try and make a strong comeback to try and get a good contact for next year, that is my only goal now.

MXlarge: Did you get to talk to any of the riders after the accident?

Nagl: I was in the same ambulance as Mike Kras, we talked a little bit, but he was really bad with his back injury and we couldn’t talk a lot and Todd Waters was in big pain from his leg, so there wasn’t a lot of talking.

MXlarge: I don’t want to keep you any longer, I am sure talking about this situation isn’t really what you want to be doing. Get better fast Max and thanks for talking to me.

Nagl: Thanks very much and thanks for calling.

Not only is this disappointing news for the three who are amongst the leading GP riders, but the big pity is they are all in good form, and looking likely to end the season inside the top ten in their respective classes.

For Coldenhoff it doesn’t change anything for 2015 as he has a contract with Suzuki to run the MXGP class, but for both Nagl and Waters it could affect their chances of getting a ride in 2015.

With around five top MX2 riders moving up to the MXGP class the pressure on results is bigger than ever.


 
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