each other along, something that I don’t get
opportunities to do very often in New Zealand. I
got to compete in a round of the British Sprints
Champs, with me placing runner-up, and it was a
good chance to work on my speed.
“Next on the calendar was the GP of Portugal
and we headed over to Spain for two weeks’
training at the Circuito Puigdemont complex. The
hard-packed ground was ideal for familiarising
myself with conditions prior to Portugal. It paid
off because I won in Portugal, again finishing first
on both days.”
With his succession of wins, Macdonald was
now leading the world championships, 16 points
clear of his nearest challenger, Italian Claudio
Spanu, with another Italian, Matteo Pavoni,
Spain’s Alejandro Navarro and Finnish rider Hugo
Svard rounding out the top five.
But then disaster struck for the Kiwi hero.
“At the next round in Spain, things didn’t go to
plan. I had a random mishap in the second-to-
last test – I high-sided the bike on some slippery
rocks and took a hard fall on my shoulder. That
was me out for the weekend with a broken
collarbone and scapula.
“I have to to admit, this was one of my biggest
and scariest crashes, so I was happy to come
away relatively unscathed.
“The FIM insurance plan is tops. I was straight
into a Spanish hospital, plated and out the next
day and then repatriated back to England. Five
weeks later, I was back riding again. The scapula
114 KIWI RIDER
was still painful but I had no problems with the
collarbone.
“We took the opportunity to head over to the
Isle of Man TT races and get in some rest and
recreation, as well as some training. The speed
those bikes travel is mental! Not something I’d
give a go.
“Local Isle of Man superstar International DJ
Jed Etchels took us to some of [enduro GP star]
David Knight’s training spots. This was a hard
intro back into riding after injury.”
The next event for the intrepid Kiwi was the
Valle de Bergamont Enduro, at Rovetta, in
Northern Italy.
“This definitely lived up to its name as an
extreme event,” said Macdonald. “For me it
was harder than the Romaniacs event. I knew it
would be tough, but didn’t realise it was going to
be as tough as it was.
“Not being 100% fit, I threw everything at it,
crashed heavily on my shoulder in the last test,
but I was content to finish runner-up and gain
some precious points. I started day two, but
my injured shoulder couldn’t handle the rocky,
rooted terrain.
“Knowing that I still have another day that I
can drop – only the eight best results are to
be counted for the Youth Cup competition –
and we were heading into summer break, I
decided to retire and fight the battle again when
100%. I currently hold on to third place in the
championship, but I can still win it.
“So here I am, back in New Zealand for a seven-
week [Northern Hemisphere] summer break in
the series. My light training consists of mountain
biking, swimming and gym work, with the odd
motocross training thrown in.
“My next round is the GP of the Czech Republic
in September, but I’m planning to head back to
England and get in some more training with Jack
(Edmondson) then head to the factory for some
more testing before heading on to the Czech
Republic (for the event at Uhlirske Janovice on
September 13-15).
“The Sherco Team have been a great help,
taking me under its wing this year. The team
have a real ‘family’ attitude, which helps when
you are away from home and I am slowly
learning Italian. All the riders on the GP are very
welcoming and friendly. Riders spend a great
deal of time pre-walking test sections and we
exchange good banter.”
The final round of the Enduro GP World
Championships is set for Ambert, in France, on
September 27-29.