Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > I'm Back !!!!

[Andy#99]

Hi All

Most of you are aware that I took a little tumble at Cadwell !

I got a reasonable start, or so I thought, launching myself with three lovelly wheelies, only to see Antonye just in front of me as we tipped it into the first corner...and I knew he had been a row-or-two behind me on the grid! "Gawd...I must have made a crummy start", I thought, and swiftly set about passing as many people as possible in that corner (can't remember what it's called). I think I did just that, and arrived at Charlies a bit too quick, and on the outside of an SS (don't know who!). I was now travelling a little faster than them, with my front wheel alongside, roughly, their foot-peg, and with them going wider and wider as we started to exit the corner. Going too fast to brake, and heading for the kerb, I stood it up and made a swift exit across the grass! Unbelievably, I managed to scrub off a little speed whilst I made a lovelly wide arc to start heading back towards the track. "Oh, goodie, I've saved it" I thought, as I looked across to the track to see bods still streaming past. Just easing a little throttle on I made a straight-line bee-line for the track and the next thing I knew the front wheel tucked in what I think must have been a rut in the grass, and I simply felt an enormous blow to my shoulder....and that was that ! The very next thing I found myself lying on my back, unable to move so much as a muscle, except my head to look one way at my stricken bike 50m away, and the other to see the red flags being waved. I momentarily thought that if only I could get up I'd be able to bodge the bike and make the re-start...and then I tried to get up....NO CHANCE...it was as if I was nailed to the ground!!!!

I would be really interested to hear anybody else's account of my off...if anyone got the time to look....but anything to fill me in on the "blanks"...or simply to masage my ego that I looked v.spectacular barrel-rolling across the grass....would be very much appreciated!

I was admitted to St.Peters Hospital in Chertsey where I had a plate, seven screws and what's known as a "hook" inserted in my shoulder, as I'd busted and displaced the collar-bone so badly. What held everything up was the fact that, as well as having a general anasthetic, they gave me a sort of "arm epidural" known as a "block" which was to put my arm to sleep for 2-8 hours longer than the anasthetic. What actually happened was that my arm went "ape" for 19-hours...with the worst pins-and-needles imaginable, shooting pains and incredible "itchiness" which I couldn't be relieved from as I'd just come out of a general anasthetic!! Result, was that I was kept in for three days, and I'm only just feeling up to coming back to work!

Next year...not sure!! Bex and I are currently negotiating....nay, "locking horns" over this...and I do see her point-of-view....but as all you DD'ers out there will testify...racing a DD bike is the greatest "buzz" known, and VERY addictive...so I would like to have a go again next year (in the 583s)...but we'll see!

Anyway...thanks for the messages of sympathy etc...I'm up now...on the mend...and hope to see you soon.

Andy #99

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[AK]

durr - what good wishes mate?




:P

drinkies soon eh then?

C

[antonye]

Good to hear from you Andy, and glad that you're feeling better ... if not 100% just yet!

Not really much I can add to the details, as I was way out in front of you (:P) except that I qualified in 16th, way back on row 4 (ok, so only one row behind you, and got my usual flier up to the front. I know I had gone past quite a lot of bikes, and went past Paul #68 and Tim #21 as well, and tipped it into Coppice up into Charlies.

As I tipped it in, I could feel someone's bar sticking into my right leg, and I knew that it would be their clutch lever as it wasn't half digging in! When we got over Charlies and the red flags came out, we got back to the grid and you weren't there. I was really worried as I know that both you and Paul had been slightly behind/beside me as we went into Coppice and I thought that it was you leaning on my leg, and that was why you had come off.

At the end of the race, Paul had come up to me and said that it was him that had dug his clutch lever in, and was wondering why his bike had gone into neutral as he didn't realise! He made it round and said that you had just gone wide on the corner, and stood it up to go over the grass. Obviously I was quite relieved that I hadn't caused your accident ... at least not directly!

Some of the others further down the field might be able to fill you in on what happened, as they would have seen it as they came through.

Take it easy and love to Bex.

[Tonio600]

Glad you're back Andy, I missed your posts

[Scooter916]

Hi andy
I was along side antonye on the grid and yes he got a blinder, It was even worse the second start as you had left a big hole in the grid for him to aim at.
Anyways i was tucked in behind you into the coppice charlies flip, There was a certain amount of argy bargy going on but then you just seemed to head off track, I think it was trying to ride around the outside of the pack that forced you wider than the black stuff. I watched mesmorised for a while (rubbernecking) untill i thought he has saved it and my thought went back to the job in hand. but you didnt....
Glad to hear your on the road to recovery and considering next years options.
Glyn #13

[domski]

You're just lucky I got an equally stunning restart or you'd have 2 broken shoulders


Just kidding

Glad you're on the road to recovery - it's been a popular road this year