Luckless Kane will miss Qatar season opener
By TMX Archives on 26th Feb 15
After a busy winter of positive pre-season training with the Route77 Energy MVR-D Honda team, Natalie Kane is devastated to announce that she will be unable to compete in the opening two rounds of the World Ladies MX Championship in Qatar and Thailand.
Her absence is due to an injury sustained at the Hawkstone Park International a few weeks ago.
A luckless Kane had been feeling stronger than ever after a good winter of testing aboard her Honda CRF 250R machine.
However a final shakedown race to get into competitive mode ahead of round one of the World Championship turned out a disaster.
Natalie, who was competing against World MX2 Championship regulars at the popular British pre-season event, was pushed out wide at the bombhole at Hawkstone, which left her with nowhere to go and she subsequently crashed, breaking her clavicle.
Despite enormous efforts in attempting to be prepared for Qatar, including surgery to repair the collarbone, Kane has decided with the team that there is too much risk to race with the injury while it's in its early stages of healing, and the Irish lady from Loughbrickland will sit out proceedings.
"Once again words cannot describe how I feel right now. I've gelled so well with the Honda, and I've had such a good feeling in the pre-season that I couldn't imagine not being at the first race.
"I've had surgery to repair the collarbone and I've been having oxygen therapy, along with everything possible to aid the healing, but it's just too risky to race when the wound is still so fresh.
"I am devastated for both myself and the team, and I really have to thank Mark (Chamberlain), Honda and all of the sponsors for their hard work. I hope when I'm healed I can repay them with the results we deserve.”
Kane will continue to re-evaluate the situation and return to racing when the bone is fully healed.
