Neave twins
Since my last column, the 2019 BSB season has finished and unfortunately I don’t have anything mega positive to say about the final two rounds! I had a bad qualifying session at Donington, the penultimate round, and tried a bit too hard to make up for it on the first lap and crashed out of the race – the conditions were really dodgy and I just hit a damp patch on the way into the Old Hairpin, so as I tipped in, the back wheel came round on me and spat me over the top. I was alright until the bike landed on me, and smashed all the metatarsals in my left foot. It ripped off a couple of ligaments too, so I have had to have an op to screw them all back in place.
After crashing out at Donington and then missing the final round at Brands Hatch, I finished the championship in seventh place. I know I should have been higher up and I know I can be, so it’s actually given me loads of motivation to get over my injuries as fast as I can and get back to full fitness to hit next season rolling.
In more positive news, you might have read that I have signed for another year with Honda, to once again race in the British Superstock Championship. I do want to be on a superbike eventually, but I think it will be good for me to get another year on a superstock bike under my belt, and I’m hoping that we will be able to really fight for the championship on the new Fireblade. If the spec sheet is anything to go by, it should be a proper weapon, and I can’t wait to test it. It really means a lot that Honda, one of the very best teams in the BSB paddock, have signed me for a second year. They are such a good team to ride for and they have shown faith in me, so I’ll be doing my very best to make sure I repay them with some strong performances in 2020.
In the meantime though, I’m still taking it easy. I’ve only just been allowed to put weight on my foot, which is handy as I’ve just been in for my shoulder op, so I’ve had to ditch the crutches. The shoulder op was following on from one I had a few years ago – back then I had some screws put in, and since then I’ve crashed again and bent the screws. They removed the bent bolts, took a bone graft off my hip and used it to rebuild the shoulder, and it feels loads better now. It’s been uncomfortable all year, so I’m really glad to have finally got it sorted. I think the only thing that has got my shoulder through the season is regular visits to see Doug Jones at Altius Healthcare over in Manchester for physio after each round. In fact, they haven’t just helped with physio, Doug has also put me in front of all the best shoulder surgeons and the best foot surgeons. They work with all the top rugby teams and football teams so you know they know what they are talking about, and the guys there have given me some top-quality care.
It shouldn’t be too long before my shoulder and foot are back up to full strength, so I’m looking forward to getting back on a bike and prepping for the season – it will be here before we know it!