Pilane suffers another injury setback
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday July 16, 2022 06:00
Pilane was forced to sit out the opening round of the RedStar Raceway (RSR) championship due to an injury he suffered at the end of the 2021 season in December.
Pilane had started his rehabilitation process in March following surgery on his right elbow in December. The biker returned to the saddle on June 4 in the second round of the RSR championship and it was a smooth return for the Tlokweng native.
Pilane met his misfortune last weekend in the third round of the RSR championship. He had a slower qualification period as he finished eighth. Pilane finished heat one in seventh position but in an effort to save the round, the biker crashed in heat two of the round. "The heat was amazing, the pack got away from me and the other rider.
So we had a bit of a cat and mouse at the back there, we passed each other back and forth and I kind of enjoyed it, it was beautiful. I got into heat two really looking for a podium finish, since I was starting in eighth.
I really had a good start and by turn one I was already in third place so by the start of heat two I had passed five riders. I chased the leaders hard, I was on their tail, the other rider went wide and my knee was on the rumble (track touchline) and that's how tight it was but I managed to fit because he had gone wide. He, however, went back in and bumped into me.
I went out flying because we were riding too fast because I was chasing a podium finish. Sadly, I went down, hit the ground very hard, and my helmet was ruined with my bike in pieces,” Pilane said.
The biker then slipped into concussion. He told Mmegi Sport at the start of the week that he was still feeling massive headaches while he could not be exposed to light. Pilane said he will be sidelined for six weeks. “My wrist has been damaged pretty bad; there are hairline fractures in my wrist. My recovery will take a minimum of six weeks.
It will need a lot of ice and stabilising and if it does not get better by the beginning of August then I will have to go for x-ray. I recovered from concussion on Sunday after the race,” he said. Pilane will be keeping his fingers crossed that he is fully fit for the RSR championship fourth round to be held on September 10. The last round will follow on November 12.