Australian returns from injury ahead of final round.
Taree’s Damian Cudlin will return from injury to Team Yamaha MGM at this weekend’s Hockenheim round of the 2015 IDM Superbike Championship.
Cudlin suffered an injury to the rotator cuff of his left shoulder just one race weekend after teammate Max Neukirchner, who also makes his comeback at Hockenheim, was benched.
The Australian decided to head back to his homeland to receive medical care. His doctor’s advice was not to have surgery on his shoulder, but rather to let it heal in the long term.
This meant that Cudlin was unable to participate in the races at Schleizer Dreieck and Assen. Now, more than 11 weeks later, he returns to Europe to test his physical condition for the first time since the accident, during the first free practice on Friday.
“Of course I’m excited to be coming back for the final round in Hockenheim,” Cudlin commented. “These weeks of recovery felt like forever, so I can’t wait to ride again. I like the Hockenheim circuit, the last time I raced IDM there, in 2012, I won, so it’s been kind to me in the past.
“For sure it won’t be very easy this year as I’ve had a long time off the bike and I also missed the test that Max and some other riders had there recently, but I am really motivated to finish the season on a high note. I’ve worked hard during my recovery and I’m willing to put it all on the line again to lift us back up to the front.”
Despite his injuries and missed rounds, Cudlin enters the final round of the season ranked seventh in the championship standings.