The Latest From Cedric Gracia

[Posted 17.09.07]

"Friday night after my crash, the pain really rams home the hammering my wrist has taken! I head down straight away to the Team France doctor, who's diagnosis is a broken radius. He leaves me with my team mates, and that's the last I see of him. I'm a bit bitter about that.

Dave & Seb (Commencal staff) are great, as are Cyril Despres (my buddy and neighbour) and Miguel (my coach). They really support me. Without them, I would have gone crazy! It's difficult to keep your spirits up when you're in that state, far away from home. They take me to the local hospital, where I'm told it's serious, but the medical staff can't tell me exactly what I've got. Two days of morphine go by, but still no precise diagnosis.

We decide to head back to France, more specifically Perpignan. Cyril Despres contacts Dr Fournois, who took care of him after his Dakar accident. Without delay the doctor transfers me Aix, where I will be operated on the next day by Doctor Dufour. It takes two hours to repair the carnage in my hand. A fractured scaphoid, along with a 180 degree turn and dislocation of a semi lunar! My pain tolerance is usually pretty high, so I finally understand why I 've been suffering so much over the past 3 days!

I am obviously really dissapointed, especially when I think about the times I was setting in Fort William. But I'm happy for Commencal, who were well represented by the Athertons, and who had great results.

I'm not giving up yet, I already can't wait to get back on my bike. But it won't be for tomorrow unfortunately. I have to keep my cast on for three months, and I have loads of physio to do. But I'm staying level-headed. In this sport we know the risks, its part of the game. And I have to think about my friends Tara Lianes and Stephen Murray, who had a lot less luck than I did.

No way am I letting myself go, see you soon on the trails!"

CG