2007 MX1 World Champion Steve Ramon is firmly in the midst of his recovery and rehabilitation programme from the C7 vertebrae he fractured in a first moto crash at Valkenswaard for the Grand Prix of Benelux and the fourth round of the FIM series four weeks ago.
The Belgian is currently adjusting to life in the wake of his first major injury in the top flight. Here the 29 year old comments on his reaction to the news of the injury, what he is currently up to; and when he might expect to return to the track…
Q: Steve, how are you feeling?
Steve Ramon: “I’m feeling better and getting through it. For the first week after I found out about the break I was so bored. I was not allowed to do a lot of things and it was a major change of lifestyle for me. I was used to training or being active every day and then I had to really slow things down and it was a big adjustment. After two weeks I was able to have some time on the exercise bike and also do some aqua jogging. It is now four weeks since the crash and I had a scan last week that showed some improvement. I can now ride the bicycle on the road but not for long periods because of the stress with the position of the neck. I can train every day but at a low intensity and the important thing at the moment is to not go too quickly.”
Q: When you had the crash and rode the next moto did you have any idea of the damage you had?
Steve Ramon: “No, and it was quite a shock when I saw the X-Rays. After the crash at Valkenswaard, between the motos, I saw the doctor and told him I had some pain and he advised that I might have a problem. I made the decision to race again with some pain killers although after 20 minutes it was almost too much. On Monday when I saw the injury I realised that what I did the day before was a bit crazy!”
Q: What are the next steps?
Steve Ramon: “It depends on the level of pain and overall how the neck feels. I just have to go along with the recovery time and not push it too much. I was wearing a neck brace for the first three weeks, which was a very strange feeling, and now I have to sleep with it on as the muscles are still not that strong. I have to make sensible decisions about what I can and cannot do. I am cycling at the moment and hope to be able to go a bit longer every week. I am not doing any power exercises for the arms or shoulders but I am working my legs. I will have another scan in two weeks which will hopefully allow me to train a bit harder and start running, although it still won’t be time to get back on the motorcycle.”
Q: This is the first major injury in quite some time for you, how are you dealing with it?
Steve Ramon: “Yes, I hurt my knee back in 2000, so that is nine years. Like I said the biggest thing is dealing with how much you have to slow down day-to-day life. It was difficult to swallow initially because I had been working hard for this season. The first two GPs weren’t great but then things picked up in Turkey and I was also strong at Valkenswaard until the accident. Now I am just looking forward, I also do think that I had a long period without any big problems; sometimes an injury like this can happen in the sport.”
Q: When will you be back racing?
Steve Ramon: “It depends on a few things obviously but I am setting my goal for the GP of Limburg at Lommel at the beginning of August; not an easy race I know! I think I still have a lot of work to do if I want to be ready for that one!”
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