Double 450SX champion 'thought it was maybe shoulder at first'.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb has shed more light on the crash that took him out of the AUSX Open in Melbourne, further clarifying that he managed to avoid injury after initial concerns about his shoulder.
The double 450SX champion appeared injured after he went down in race two at the Australian event, but after initially indicating he had suffered whiplash in the impact, has since been further cleared of injury upon return to the US.
“I’m a little banged up, for sure, but we got checked out [Monday] and all good,” Webb explained. “No real injuries, kind of some whiplash and just jammed my thumb – I always seem to crash on my dang thumb now. But yeah, thought it was maybe shoulder at first, but got checked out and everything’s clear… just muscle stuff, tightness, give it about a week, maybe less.
“I’m gonna try to ride on Thursday and it should be good. Was at Dr. G’s all day yesterday – there’s always a risk, but there’s risks at the Yamaha test track or anytime you ride a motorcycle. I was able to win the first main event, which was great, and we’re healthy now five weeks away from A1.”
“I’m a little stiff, but at the time when you’re impacting, everything on me was locked up. I was having trouble breathing, my shoulder was in some pain, and you just think the worst… Like, ‘Man, is this thing out?’ As the time goes by, you kind of calm down, think about what hurts and what doesn’t, and then an hour, and a day.
“It was scary in the moment, I folded myself, and my left arm/thumb was banged up, and then my shoulder and upper/body, you’re not really breathing like you want to.
“It’s more scary than anything, but yeah, like I said, we came back to the States, did X-rays and everything, and everything’s fine. It shouldn’t take anything away from training, I was able to cycle yesterday, some gym work and a little bit of therapy, so it was more scary than anything, for sure.”
Webb has enjoyed a convincing off-season otherwise, winning the Paris Supercross overall and then comfortably taking the checkered flag in the first final at Marvel Stadium’s AUSX Open, prior to his exit from the second encounter under a triple crown race format.