2019 Unadilla Motocross | Cooper Webb Injury Update
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2019 UNADILLA MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE
Cooper Webb’s tremendous year hit its first rocky moment over the weekend when the Red Bull KTM rider sustained some sort of knee injury at the 2019 Unadilla Motocross. The tenth round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship started well for Webb; he was the second-fastest rider in the morning qualifying sessions, had a top-ten start in 450 Moto One, and worked up to sixth place by the tenth lap of the race. Unfortunately, a mistake in the closing laps while passing slower riders put force on his knee and he pulled off of the track due to the pain.
The team told us he was unable to put significant weight on his leg after the race and was looked over by the Alpinestars Mobile Medical staff at the track, but the initial scans did not reveal the full extent of the injury. Before the gate dropped on Moto Two, Webb was headed to the airport and caught a Saturday flight so that he could undergo an MRI on Sunday morning. A full report from Red Bull KTM is expected to come later in the week.
By all measures, Webb’s 2019 season has been stellar. In his first year with the Red Bull KTM team, Webb logged consistent results and a number of Main Event wins to take the 450 class championship in the 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Series and posted top-ten finishes through the eighteen motos of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross that were run prior to Saturday. Even if the injury forces Webb to the sidelines for the final two rounds, a place within the top-ten of the points standings is confirmed for the third-year 450 racer. After Unadilla, Webb is sixth overall in the championship and is seventy-two points ahead of seventh-place rider Justin Barcia.
If the injury is substantial, Webb has plenty of time to recover in the offseason. He and the Red Bull KTM team have plans to compete at the 2019 Red Bull Straight Rhythm two-stroke-only event and the 2019 Monster Energy Cup in October, but those are not critical events for championship points. The only must-do event on the schedule is a trip to the FIM Awards Ceremony in Europe, which takes place in early December.
UPDATE AUGUST 13TH 9:45 AM | Red Bull KTM has confirmed that Webb will miss the remaining two rounds of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship due to the Unadilla incident. The medical exams Webb underwent this week revealed the injury is a bone contusion to his left knee, which will require him to rest but will not need surgery. This is great news for Webb, as the recovery time is drastically shorter.
The full press release from KTM is posted below…
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team announced today that Cooper Webb will miss the final two rounds of the 2019 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The reigning AMA Supercross Champion suffered a bone contusion in his left knee during Moto 1 of the Unadilla National on Saturday and while the injury does not require surgery, Webb will need a few weeks to recover.
Fresh off his first-career 450MX overall win at Spring Creek, Webb was beginning to gain traction in the outdoor season. With podium finishes in seven motos through the first 10 rounds, he currently sits sixth overall in the 450MX Championship Standings with two rounds remaining in the series.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team wishes Cooper a speedy recovery.
Fingers crossed this doesn’t have too much of an impact on off-season preparations.
Thanks for report and update! Prime example of just how humbling this sport can be.