Saturday 28th July 2012, 14:49

Aussie legend Jason Crump admits he had no intention of letting a broken collarbone stop him hunting down SGP leader Greg Hancock and said “if you can ride, you have to ride.”

The 36-year-old, who is second in the standings on 78 points, competes in tonight’s FIM Fogo Croatian SGP at Gorican, despite suffering a nasty spill in a Russian league fixture at Vladivostok on July 19.

He left the far eastern track with an injury which could have sidelined some riders for around three weeks.

But Crump was immediately sent to Geneva by his main sponsors Red Bull and underwent surgery to plate the collarbone last Saturday.

Incredibly, he declared himself fit to race at the Speedway Stadium Milenium and will give everything he can to close the nine-point gap between him and Hancock, who is on 87 points.

Even if the Bristol-born star is able to snatch a few points, it would do his title chances no harm. So Crump is ready to grit his teeth and go for it in Gorican.

He said: “We’ll have to see what happens. We’re halfway through the year and I’m in a position where I’m still in there – just about. So if you can ride, you have to ride and try and get what you can.

“Every meeting from now on in is important in terms of the points. It’s never any different. Every race, every meeting is vital.”

Crump did not practice yesterday, but many in the Gorican paddock were pleasantly surprised by his condition after such a serious crash.

“I feel pretty good,” he said. “Obviously I haven’t been back on a bike, but I’ve been out on my mountain bike and I’ve been back to the gym. It seems it’s okay.”

Crump admits undergoing surgery so fast made a huge difference in his recovery. “It’s all-important,” he said. “If you leave it for some time, it doesn’t help, so getting it done as quickly as possible was vital. I managed to get that, so it was pretty good.”

It’s only natural for a rider to be at least a bit apprehensive after coming back from a crash. Given that Crump hasn’t tested his collarbone in anger since his operation, it remains to be seen how he will be affected. Considering that he has only been off the bike for nine days, Crump hasn’t had as much time to dwell on his Russian spill.

Asked if this quick turnaround could help his confidence, the triple world champion said: “You never know. If you’re okay and your body is fit enough, you can go and race. If not, then you’re in trouble.”

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