Duncan itching to get back on her bike
COURTNEY Duncan has been laid up with a foot injury and is still ‘‘a couple of weeks’’ away from getting back on her bike.
The Palmerston Women’s Motocross World Championship rider leaves for her base in Belgium on Wednesday, but still has her right foot in a moon boot.
She crashed about six weeks ago and sustained multiple fractures. The rehabilitation has gone well, but she will find out more the day she leaves.
‘‘I have some Xrays and a followup appointment on Wednesday before I fly out,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve just been playing that rehab game really — making small [improvements] each week which is good.
‘‘But I’m still a couple of weeks off from getting on a bike.
‘‘I’ve done everything that I’ve been [required to] and have not overdone anything. So I’m confident I’ll get a good report on Wednesday and it should be onwards and upwards.’’
Duncan had a holiday scheduled, but she has been off the bike longer than she had planned, and is keen to return to racing.
‘‘I’m supermotivated right now. It was nice to have a break but I’m well and truly ready to get back over there and get back into the swing of things and hopefully back on the bike.’’
The 22yearold looks poised to reverse two years of rotten luck and claim the title in just her third season.
She has a 21point lead at the top of the standings with four races remaining. But given her history, Duncan is not letting her thoughts drift too far ahead.
Her rookie campaign was derailed when she collided with a stray photographer, and last year she crashed after swerving to avoid a pileup in the secondlast race of the season.
She cannot clinch the championship title when the series resumes in the Netherlands in mid September, but she can put more distance between her and secondplace rider and fivetime champion Kiara Fontanesi.
Despite Fontanesi’s impressive resume, the Italian has struggled to stay with Duncan, who has strung together her most consistent season.
Duncan placed sixth in the opening race of the season but rebounded with five consecutive wins before having to settle for two second placings in her last outing.
That consistency has given her some leeway, but she will not be easing back on the throttle.
‘‘I just want to go out there and approach it the same way I’ve approached the first four rounds. And that is to go out there and put myself in a good position off the start and go for the win if it is there and let everything fall into place.’’