Simpson's back on board
By TMX Archives on 30th Jul 09
RED Bull KTM factory rider Shaun Simpson, pictured above in Belgium at the weekend, made a much welcomed return to riding late last week following his long lay off due to a serious leg injury sustained during a practice accident back in April. The 21-year-old got the all clear from Doctor Ghyjselings last Wednesday, and while Thursday was lost to heavy rain in Belgium, Simpson enjoyed two good days of riding during Friday and Saturday on a private sand track close to his base in Zolder.
Shaun explained: It feels good to be back on a bike again. Although the first few laps seemed a little strange, I soon got back into it. I did three 20-minute motos at a reasonable speed to start with and my leg seemed really good. I landed heavy a couple of times and there was no pain whatsoever. My ankle was a bit stiff to begin with, but having new boots on probably didn't help.
My overall fitness is pretty good as I have been working hard over the last few weeks, so now it is just a case of getting bike fit and building up both my speed and confidence. I plan to use exactly the same training regime as I did pre-season as it seemed to work well then. The good thing is that I have got five-weeks before Lierop, so I can just take things at my own pace.
I obviously can't wait to be racing again, but I know these coming weeks are important not only for the last few races this year, but also in terms of being fit and ready for next season too. So I will not be doing anything that is going to put that at risk.