Clement Desalle could well have made his last appearance for the Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MXGP team in 2015 after suffering another brief dislocation of his right shoulder in Timed Practice for the Grand Prix of Belgium yesterday.
The 26-year-old has now opted to undergo surgery on the joint in what will be a similar stabilising procedure to the operation to fix his left shoulder in the autumn of 2013 and after having won the Motocross of Nations.
Desalle should enter theatre at some stage in the next fortnight and will face a substantial recuperation period before being strong enough to be able to ride and race.
For the second season in a row the Belgian has had to end an MXGP campaign prematurely, after breaking his scaphoid last summer.
Desalle originally injured the shoulder at round eight and the Grand Prix of France where he also sustained an ailment to his left knee that caused him to sit out races in Italy, Germany and Sweden. The #25 contested the Czech fixture at Loket last weekend and with third position overall made a surprisingly effective return to action.
The mishap in the Lommel sand closes the book on what had been a difficult 2015 term after such a positive start and six rostrum finishes in the first seven GPs.
“I did not have a problem in Czech Republic but the condition of my shoulder was something that was at the back of my mind,” he said. “I landed heavily after the table-top and hit the bumps and I felt it go. Now I cannot be sure if it will be strong enough or safe and I know I need some surgery. I was already disappointed about how 2015 turned out in France and now the season is over. I just have to think about 2016.”
