British Champion Tommy Searle is deep into the recovery phases of rehab from ACL surgery on his left knee that means the Monster Energy Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki rider will miss minimal time away from the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship. After rupturing the joint while training in the USA before Christmas and undergoing immediate surgery the 26 year old is three months into period of convalescence and training to be back on the KX450F. The time frame of gym work and physio means Searle will turn the wheels of his ‘100’ race bike in early March and is slated to miss the trips to Qatar and Indonesia.

‘When it happened I had to talk to the team and Kawasaki and we agreed that we didn’t want to come back just to make up the numbers,’ he said exclusively. ‘I had the operation as soon as possible with a graft from my hamstring, and according to what the doctors said it was best to reach that four month period to get my knee in the best shape possible and to a position where it will be strong and I can fully rely on it.’

‘MXGP is hard enough as it is when you are fully fit so to go to Qatar without much bike time and to have more risk after the operation was not something I wanted to do,’ he added. ‘I want to thank Steve [Dixon] and Kawasaki because they have been really good about coming back from this in the right way and making sure we can go on the track and actually do something.’

Searle twisted his knee while riding a moto in California and an MRI revealed the extent of the damage that ruined his plans of competing in the high-profile UK Arenacross series and also ate into his testing and pre-season training schedule. While in the States he was able to call on the help (and bitter experience) of friend Dean Wilson who has suffered two similar knee ailments. #100 re-established his name in 2016 with the British crown and some convincing Grand Prix outings after an injury-plagued 2015.

‘I was upset, as anyone would be,’ he said once scans confirmed disrupted of his preparation. ‘But once we had the operation and the new time frame I knew I had the chance to be able to do the rest of the season healthy once I got back on the bike; so it was a no brainer. I’ve never had knee problems before and I now I want to be in a position where I can ride normally…we are getting there.’

Britain will now count on Searle’s 2016 British Championship rivals Shaun Simpson and Jake Nicholls in the premier class while the likes of Max Anstie also steps into the fray armed with a works Rockstar Energy IceOne Husqvarna. The Monster Energy DRT squad also have Darian Sanayei and Seva Brylyakov running KX250F machinery in the MX2 class.

Photos by Ray Archer