Image: Marc Jones (Foremost Media).

An ongoing wrist injury initially sustained from a crash at Phillip Island in 2014 has prompted Australian Superbike regular Michael Blair to step away from the sport completely.

Blair, who’s currently ranked 10th in this year’s Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), revealed the injury has quickly deteriorated this season to a point where his safety has been put at risk.

The Gosford Classic Car Museum Yamaha-mounted privateer will undergo surgery to fuse his left wrist, which will subsequently result in immobilisation of the joint.

“It was not an easy decision,” Blair declared to CycleOnline.com.au. “It was pretty much from a crash at Phillip Island four years ago – I damaged my hand really badly and initially I wanted to fuse it straightaway. I kind of got it patched up and thought I’d see how long I could go with it, but since the start of this season it’s deteriorated quite bad – there’s no cartilage left in my joint, so I’ve just been riding bone of bone.

“If I’m going to quit and ride for fun, it’s probably more risk than going at it full on. I’m going to step away from bikes completely for the moment, and you know, go have some fun – do some fishing, surfing, and a bit of other stuff.”

The New South Welshman transitioned from dirt track racing to road racing full-time in 2012, later racing in the Australian Superstock and Superbike categories while also experiencing a stint in the Asia Road Racing Championship.