CAS Honda: Melotte Injury Update

17th May 2009

CAS Honda would like to explain the situation with rider, Cedric Melotte, who has been suffering with a problematic back injury sustained at round two of the 2009 FIM World MX1 Championship.

Since jarring his lower back at the Bulgarian Grand Prix, Melotte has received regular intensive treatment on the injured area, which has caused him to miss races in five of the six events so far this season. The 30-year-old Belgian has returned to the track in Bellpuig this weekend following more treatment at his home in Belgium, and despite a strong showing in first practice, the CAS Honda pilot was unable to continue after the second session as his back injury once again left him in excruciating pain.

Melotte has had treatment, including pain relief injections in the damaged area, to try and improve the situation over the last few weeks, but so far this is not having a strong enough effect to allow him to race. As this is a serious injury, involving demobilising pain in his back and legs, Melotte has mutually agreed with the team that he should sit out of racing for the foreseeable future, or until he feels able to complete a race weekend.

Melotte has been very loyal, honest and good to the team throughout the year so far and CAS Honda would like to offer him its support during this difficult time. Should Melotte decide he is fit enough and wishes to return to racing, CAS Honda will continue to provide him with the equipment and personnel to do so.

The team and Melotte both feel that it is more important for him to concentrate on making a full recovery rather than aggravating the injury further, and he will now return home to Belgium for more treatment.

CAS Honda will be announcing Melotte’s replacement for both the World and British MX1 Championship in the near future.

Neil Prince: CAS Honda Team Manager
“Obviously this isn’t a nice situation for either CAS Honda or Cedric, as he has tried many different methods to return to full fitness since injuring himself in Bulgaria. Cedric showed a lot of speed in the sessions he has completed this season, but it has become apparent that the injury to one of the discs in his back is not healing and he is unable to complete a race weekend. This injury is causing pain down his legs and the pain relieving injections along with the intensive treatment he has had recently are not working. It has been decided between the team and Cedric that he needs to focus on making a full recovery, rather than the risk of causing further damage to the area, which could have a dramatic effect on his mobility in later life. We are not sure exactly what treatment will be involved to truly fix the problem, but for now he will not be racing in the World MX1 series for the foreseeable future. Cedric has been very honest with the team and CAS Honda will support him whatever his decision may be to ride or race, but for now he must concentrate on receiving the right treatment to recover from his problem. We will be announcing who will be riding our second machine soon.”