McFarlane cleared of career ending injuries after MXoN crash

Australia has finished last at the 2007 Motocross of Nations at
Budds Creek in America, with team member Andrew McFarlane
having been air-lifted from the track after breaking three bones in
his back during the opening moto.

McFarlane was involved in a multiple-rider collision that saw a
bike hurtle into him off the gate in the first moto, and he was
taken straight to a spinal clinic for immediate treatment.

Reports from Australian Team Manager Gary Benn over in
America suggest that McFarlane is doing okay, and that
thankfully, the spinal damage is such that he should make a full
recovery.

“I don’t know what the exact names of the bones are but he’s
broken three of them in his spine,” Benn said. “It is not a problem
in terms of loss of movement or anything like that –it’s just one
section of bones that is purely there for protection, it doesn’t alter
function or anything like that.”

With the incident taking place in the first of the three motos,
Australia was never going to be in the hunt - despite Chad Reed
taking out second place in the same race.

In the second race, Michael Byrne was doing well in third overall
before a dislodged water hose meant that he could not finish the
race – one in which McFarlane did not start.

In the third and final moto, Byrne finished 11th overall while Reed
went down in a second-corner pile-up, and did not finish the race.

It was an unfortunate turn of events for the Aussies who had
qualified in fourth overall and were very confident heading into
the main event.

Benn put the results down to bad luck, and pointed out the similar
fortunes of other strong contenders New Zealand and South Africa
in trying to find some solace.

“It was a strange race,” he said. “The three strong teams other
than America were New Zealand, Australia and South Africa and I
think we came last, second last and third last. “It wasn’t even a
lap (McFarlane’s crash) - it was only 10 metres that he went, off
the start. So it sort of was a bit of a bummer for everybody. “It
was all pretty much downhill from there.” Fullnoise.com.au

pictures from transworldmotocross.com