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Location
Auckland, NZ
Edited Date/Time
1/24/2012 4:25pm
United States-based New Zealand motocross star Ben Townley is hopeful arthroscopic surgery on a nagging shoulder injury will see him back riding next season.
Townley told NZPA from his Tallahassee home in Florida today that he will undergo an operation by Belgian specialist Toon Claes in a fortnight to remove a bone spur impinging on a shoulder tendon which has caused him pain and impaired movement.
Claes, renowned among world motocross championship riders and professional cyclists for his work on elbows and shoulders, successfully repaired a wrist injury Townley suffered in 2003, the year before he won his world MX2 title.
However, there is some uncertainty connected with the surgery as unclear scans point to potentially another more serious problem, Townley said.
"There is something that is unclear on images that they (specialists in the United States and Europe) are worried about.
"It could be a more severe injury and the best bet is to have a look when they do the arthroscopy.
"The recovery time from that could be a long time but as far as the arthroscopy goes, it will be more carrying on from the rehabilitation I have been doing."
Townley, 24, suffered a torn rotator cuff and a tear in the labrum to the shoulder in a crash last year.
It was operated on last June and an initial three months rehabilitation stretched out to consume the rest of the year.
But when he resumed training in the US in January, a new problem revealed itself under the intensity of his programme.
Having undergone a number of tests and examinations, Townley said he was glad to have got a diagnosis to work by.
"Professional opinions in America came up with the same diagnosis and with the same information, so I am pretty happy with that right now and made the decision to go ahead and have a small arthroscopy done to see if the bone spur can be removed to take away the restriction and the pain as well."
Townley, from Taupo, said he would head home to New Zealand after the operation to rebuild for the 2010 season.
"I'm focusing on my health right now and taking it step by step -- the first is to get a clear bill of health and then regain strength and fitness.
"I aim to start riding and racing in New Zealand the coming spring and summer and if everything goes to plan, to race the 2010 US motocross series, which from right now, is a year away," the Honda rider said.
Townley said he needed racing time to regain technique and race craft and there was no better place than New Zealand to do that.
"I don't want to try and do it at the highest level as I need to rebuild the confidence and there's no better place than doing that than at home where I can get back and feel the fire again as far as racing goes.
"Hopefully it'll all be pretty straightforward with the surgery and I'll be good to go after."
Townley told NZPA from his Tallahassee home in Florida today that he will undergo an operation by Belgian specialist Toon Claes in a fortnight to remove a bone spur impinging on a shoulder tendon which has caused him pain and impaired movement.
Claes, renowned among world motocross championship riders and professional cyclists for his work on elbows and shoulders, successfully repaired a wrist injury Townley suffered in 2003, the year before he won his world MX2 title.
However, there is some uncertainty connected with the surgery as unclear scans point to potentially another more serious problem, Townley said.
"There is something that is unclear on images that they (specialists in the United States and Europe) are worried about.
"It could be a more severe injury and the best bet is to have a look when they do the arthroscopy.
"The recovery time from that could be a long time but as far as the arthroscopy goes, it will be more carrying on from the rehabilitation I have been doing."
Townley, 24, suffered a torn rotator cuff and a tear in the labrum to the shoulder in a crash last year.
It was operated on last June and an initial three months rehabilitation stretched out to consume the rest of the year.
But when he resumed training in the US in January, a new problem revealed itself under the intensity of his programme.
Having undergone a number of tests and examinations, Townley said he was glad to have got a diagnosis to work by.
"Professional opinions in America came up with the same diagnosis and with the same information, so I am pretty happy with that right now and made the decision to go ahead and have a small arthroscopy done to see if the bone spur can be removed to take away the restriction and the pain as well."
Townley, from Taupo, said he would head home to New Zealand after the operation to rebuild for the 2010 season.
"I'm focusing on my health right now and taking it step by step -- the first is to get a clear bill of health and then regain strength and fitness.
"I aim to start riding and racing in New Zealand the coming spring and summer and if everything goes to plan, to race the 2010 US motocross series, which from right now, is a year away," the Honda rider said.
Townley said he needed racing time to regain technique and race craft and there was no better place than New Zealand to do that.
"I don't want to try and do it at the highest level as I need to rebuild the confidence and there's no better place than doing that than at home where I can get back and feel the fire again as far as racing goes.
"Hopefully it'll all be pretty straightforward with the surgery and I'll be good to go after."
Best of luck to Ben and hope the surgery works out well.
Does he have a single year deal with Honda? or 2 or more years?
He will be back, and strong...
Remember that he was the only one to challenge RC at the Nations in france on a 450, and the only one to challenge RV on a 250...
He will come back stronger than ever...
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
In the meantime, does honda fill the spot for outside?
Albertson, J Alessi, Gracyk, Hamlin, LANGSTON.
I kid.
I hope Townley tears it up, we need to keep the outdoors strong. I am so tired of SX forgetting where it came from.
EDIT: They really used the term fortnight to describe a length of time. Is this article even real????
Devil1nNj, do you think that maybe it's a NZ article?
All the best to Ben. He's awfully talented, but has had an awful couple of years. Here's hoping he comes back stronger than ever.
Just be glad they didn't say he was going to undergo the operation 1.2096 × 10^15 nanoseconds from now.
My joke was in reference to his lack of track time the last couple of years ( and next one) also
I'm going to give him a year to get his legs under him...then, if he stays healthy, he'll be battling for the championship in '11.
Pit Row
Sorry, last night was kind of a long one.
Ben is so very thankful for the success he has achieved and does not take anything for granted. Since he has been out of action, Ben has been working with MNZ (NZ equivalent of the AMA) to help talented NZ riders get international exposure. He has set up a scolorship for an up and coming rider called Cameron Dillon to travel to the US and race at the LL's qualifiers. Ben has funded this himself including bikes, mechanic, accomodation, entry fees and has provided personal support and guidance for Cameron while in the US regarding bike set up, race preparation and event selection. From what I hear Cameron is running top 5 in the events he has entered.
also incredible that with todays medical technology, that he'd be out that long..... maybe he needs to start seeing Lance Armstrongs team of docs.... or the guys that Yogi used to use....
1 101 Carmichael, Ricky USA AMA Suzuki 35:34.904 18 0:00.000 1:54.695
2 21 Townley, Ben NZL MNZ KTM 35:39.967 18 0:05.063 1:54.763
Thats alot closer than he was run at the nationsal were yes he would win by 30+ seconds
Facts are a wonderful thing you should try it sometime...
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