Jeffrey Herlings on four month recovery path – gives prediction on 2015 MX2 title…
Herlings did not suffer any fractures or breaks to the joint but needed corrective surgery to realign the ball of his femur with the pelvis socket. “There are no pins, screws or plates in,” he said. “But they fixed the ball where the femur is.”
“In three weeks I can start swimming and therapy,” he added. “I can cycle slowly on a home trainer already.” The former double world champion had a lead of 139 points at one stage in this season’s MX2 championship tussle but then sustained a broken collarbone in Germany, a badly cut little finger in Sweden and finally the hip injury in Czech Republic. Understandably the KTM athlete had a hard time accepting and dealing with the physical setbacks and the prospect of losing out on another championship after a snapped femur ultimately cost him the 2014 crown.
Herlings admitted that he is “missing racing” and is unlikely to attend his home Grand Prix at Assen next week for the final European-based round of this years series.
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When pressed on who he believed could win the prize in 2015 from the group of five riders that can still take the number one plate Herlings said: “Gajser, I think”. The Slovenian was the first competitor to beat Herlings when he won the Grand Prix of Trentino and round four in April. Lastly #84 also confessed that a decision on whether he will attempt MX2 once more or move into the MXGP class for 2016 has still not been made.
His team-mate, Pauls Jonass, is one of the MX2 collective at the top of the standings that can still claim championship glory and the Latvian is the only other rider apart from Herlings to wear the red plate this year. He currently fronts Gajser by four points.
