Antonio Cairoli Undergoes Surgery, Out For Rest Of 2019
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It’s official: Antonio Cairoli will miss the remainder of the 2019 Monster Energy FIM Motocross World Championship due to the shoulder injury he suffered at the MXGP of Latvia. The news comes after weeks of uncertainty for the multi-time world champion, but a recent examination necessitated a surgery that will require three to four months of recovery. The announcement was part of the Red Bull KTM team’s post-race press release from the 2019 MXGP of Indonesia, an event that Cairoli did not take part in.
As stated above, Cairoli’s initial injury occurred during a hard crash in MXGP Moto Two at the MXGP of Latvia, when he was thrown off of the bike in the high-speed sand rollers and landed shoulder-first into the ground, which caused it to dislocate. He was able to get up and off the track on his own, but was unable to finish the moto and was spotted around the paddock afterward in a sling to keep his arm in place. The extent of the injury was uncertain and it later forced him to sit out the MXGP round in Germany in favor of rest. At the time, there were hopes that Cairoli could manage the issue through the rest of the season in order to maintain a shot at the title, but that came to an end when KTM announced he would miss the two consecutive races in Indonesia.
Per today’s press release, Cairoli attempted to ride recently but felt discomfort in his arm and returned to the doctor for further evaluation, where it was determined that surgery was needed to repair the damage done to the Subscapularis and Supraspinatus muscles (around the rotator cuff). Because the timeline for recovery is three to four months, which would mean around October and November, the surgery was done immediately; This will allow Cairoli to resume a normal preseason training routine ahead of 2020.
Cairoli’s parts of the press release are posted in full below…
Red Bull KTM were missing their MXGP representatives – Jeffrey Herlings and Tony Cairoli – for the second meeting in a row. Herlings is recovering quickly from a broken lower right leg while Cairoli unexpectedly underwent a corrective operation in Belgium on Saturday.
The Italian decided on further scans after the swelling had subsided on his right shoulder. He had initially hoped to continue racing in 2019 but damage to the Subscapularis and Supraspinatus muscles meant he was advised to have surgery right away. The procedure was performed by Tom Claes (son of renowned surgeon Toon) and the former nine-times world champion is expected to leave hospital today (Sunday) to begin a recovery period that can take between three-four months.
Tony Cairoli: “It is sad to finish the championship this way and it hasn’t happened too many times in my career. When I tried to ride last week I knew I had some problems but I wanted to stay positive about the recovery. I had more scans in Belgium and the injury was much worse that we thought so they told me to have surgery right away and it was the best solution to get healthy again in the fastest way. Thanks to the team and to the fans for the support. I hope to visit a few races before the end of the season and will now concentrate on getting better.”
