NEAL SAYS HE WILL BE FIT FOR OPENER
Triple BTCC champion confident mountain bike accident won’t stop him competing
British Touring Car champion Matt Neal says he will be fit to return for the opening round of the season after suffering serious injuries in a mountain bike accident.
The 53-year-old fell during a ride with friends earlier this month and suffered a clean break to his clavicle, multiple fractures to his shoulder, a broken rib and a punctured lung, which then collapsed.
The Team Dynamics Honda Civic Type R driver was taken to hospital in Worcester where he was treated by the Worcester Acute Hospital NHS Trust.
Neal is recuperating at home and already has his sights on the beginning of the campaign on March 28-29 at Donington.
“The doctors have told me that I will definitely miss the pre-season test sessions,” the three-time title winner said. “But I should be back in time for Donington and I am going to win the opening race of the year – you can quote me on that!”
Neal explained that the accident had happened as he was taking avoiding action. “The guy who was riding in front of me fell off, and I was in his wheeltracks,” said Neal.
“I had a choice: either go over him, which would have caused injuries to him, or try and avoid him. I looked to the left and I could see a tree, but there was a track behind that. I figured I could use that as an escape route. But, as I veered off course, the ground was really soft and the front wheel of my bike dug in and flipped me over the handlebars. I did a superman impression into the tree. I shoulder charged it, and that is what did the damage.”