Kasper Woolley sidelined with serious spleen injury
YT's Canadian will sit out the opening Enduro World Cup rounds
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YT Industries
Kasper Woolley can’t seem to catch a break. The Squamish, B.C. enduro racer had a string of injuries last year, one during racing and one freak accident at a pump track near home. Now, YT’s Canadian shared that he’s sitting out the start of his first season with the YT Mob with a badly injured spleen.
YT Mob shared that Woolley suffered a Grade 5 spleen injury while training on Vancouver’s North Shore. The crash happened about a month ago now. Woolley’s updated that his recovery is already well underway but that it will also be a long road.
“The recovery process has not been the most fun so far. I spent 10 days in hospital getting a couple procedures done to save half my spleen,” Woolley shared via YT. “So far it’s felt more like a bad illness than a regular injury. I will be able to return to low-risk activity hopefully fairly soon but just have to go by feel.”
Long recovery but a short World Cup season
While Woolley’s long-term prognosis is good, the Canadian is in for a long recovery.
“Unfortunately I am at high risk to do further damage if I were to fall on it again for at least 3-5 months,” Woolley shared, adding “It is going to be a frustrating one because I am going to feel fine months before I am safe to ride normally again.”
Woolley also pointed out that, with the Enduro World Cup season being front-loaded this year, he could miss most of this year’s season.
World Cup racing starts next weekend, on March 25 in Maydena, Tasmania. Derby follows the next weekend, also in Australia. There’s a short, month-long break in the calendar before a busy June. Finale Ligure, Italy, Leogang, Austria and Val di Fassa, Italy, all take place in the same month. Woolley’s recovery timeline could see him sit all those rounds out.
Woolley’s debut with YT Mob could be put off until the final two rounds of race in France, Loudenvielle and Les Gets, both of which are in September.
That’s a rough start after joining a new team. YT Mob was quick to add that it’s standing behind Woolley while he takes the time to recover fully.
“YT Industries is committed to supporting him throughout this difficult period until he is fully recovered.”
