VOLUME 73 NUMBER 20
8 COPPERGATE MEWS, BRIGHTON ROAD, SURBITON,
SURREY, KT6 5NE
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NEWSDESK
TAI DEFIANT
PHIL LANNING on why Woffinden hasn’t written off courageous
Cardiff comeback...
TAI Woffinden has not ruled out a sensational return to racing in the British Grand Prix – just six weeks after breaking his elbow in four places.
Britain’s greatest-ever rider was flung alarmingly over his handlebars at high speed in the recent Gorzow GP. He was instantly knocked out cold and landed heavily on his left arm in the sickening incident.
Three-time World Champion Woffy, 33, underwent an operation in Poland last Sunday to screw and plate his elbow.
The national captain has been cruelly ruled out of Great Britain’s Speedway of Nations title bid at the National Speedway Stadium on Saturday.
But despite suffering excruciating pain and concussion, the Scunthorpeborn star remains defiant and is tentatively planning an incredible return for the Principality Stadium GP on August 17.
He said: “I remember everything leading up to my face hitting the floor.
“I can remember clipping the airbag, then being in hospital.
“The first X-ray that I saw just looked like a fracture of the elbow. But it was actually smashed into four big pieces.
“So to get it all knitted back together and be strong to stay in position, it wasn’t just a simple open the skin up and wire it back together. That would have been more ideal.
“Instead, it needed lots of plates and screws to get it all back in place.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take, it was quite a complex operation. I’ll obviously be back as fast as I can. No sooner and no later, when it’s ready, it’s ready.
“I will take it day-by-day and week-by-week. From where I’m at now, it’s definitely not going to be less than four weeks. In four weeks’ time we’ll see where we are at.
“Cardiff is on my mind, of course. I have made bold moves before.
“It’s not even about the British GP. It’s whether I come back for Sheffield on the Thursday before the GP. I don’t know, I genuinely can’t give anyone a date.”
Woffinden admits that his catalogue of injuries since 2013 has been alarming. He broke his collarbone en route to his first world title that year and has since been injured every season dating back to 2019.
He added: “I have broken my back; tore a ligament in my foot; fractured my foot; broke my tibia and femur; smashed my shoulder ligaments and broken my hand.
“I have calculated that since 2019, I’ve actually missed a full year of racing because of injuries. That’s part of what we do, it comes with the territory of racing a motorbike as fast as you can.
“Sometimes you do go home in an ambulance but that’s what we do, right?
“I do question the amount of injuries. I think I may have to go to church before I come back. But it’s all character-building.”
Woffinden also faces another dilemma with his Grand Prix status in jeopardy.
He will almost certainly need a wild card pick for 2025 after a hugely disappointing campaign thus far has left him jointbottom of the overall SGP series standings with 23 points from the first six rounds.
But he won’t be drawn on his future at this stage. He started well in Gorzow before the shocking crash while racing against Kai Huckenbeck. He added: “It is what it is and sort of sums up my season in the Grand Prix series.
“It was a good opening in the GP. It’s hard to say it was only one race. I definitely had pace.
“I’m not looking for anything to do with next year. I’ll focus on this year first.
“There’s no outside input that is going to change anything for me to decide when I come back.”
Olly backs trio GREAT BRITAIN co-manager Olly Allen insists he has faith in his squad to regain the Speedway of Nations title despite losing Tai Woffinden.
By sheer irony, the same three riders that won gold in Manchester in 2021, Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley and Tom Brennan, will represent GB again on Saturday night.
The national side have delivered an incredible recent record of three finals in five years of the SoN.
Allen admits it’s a massive setback to lose Woffinden yet again at the most crucial moment.
He said: “Now we arrive at Belle Vue with the same three riders who won in 2021 and on the same track. I know that means nothing this week, it’s a clean slate again.
“It’s obviously a huge shame to lose Tai. But Tom’s form in the British Final there was really good and he’s got a lot of experience at Belle Vue.
“I’m gutted to lose Tai but the goal doesn’t change. It’s going to be tough again, as always, but I’m confident in our team.
2 speedway star July 13, 2024
