Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team’s Arnaud Tonus dislocated his shoulder last weekend in France. The twenty-six-year-old Swiss native received medical attention at the circuit before returning to Switzerland where a specialist at the Hirslanden Hospital in Geneva assessed his shoulder. Following expert medical advice of Dr. Gregory Cunningham, Tonus underwent surgery to re-construct the shoulder on Tuesday 20th February.
Tonus will remain in Switzerland for the initial part of his rehabilitation where he has been advised to rest for the first few weeks before starting an intensive physiotherapy program, which will aim to have him back on the bike in the shortest mount of time possible. Tonus’ will unfortunately miss the start of the 2018 FIM MXGP World Championship and his return to racing is currently unknown. The main focus is for the Swiss talent to take his time and to make a full and strong recovery.
Injury updates will be made when available on MXGP and Yamaha Racing’s Social Media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Arnaud Tonus, Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team:
“It’s really disappointing to start the season with an injury. I did a lot of work in the winter, in the gym and with my diet, to be 100% ready for this season, and I felt great on the bike. Now, I need to change my goals and recover in the best way possible. I am confident with the doctors and people I have around me here in Geneva, and I am sure that when I come back, I will be strong and ready to show what I can do.”
Erik Eggens,Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Manager
“It’s unfortunate that we can not start the 2018 MXGP season with Arnaud on the line. He was looking very fast and very strong on his YZ450F during the off-season and everything was on track for what was expected to be a fantastic season. In what seems like a split second, the start of the season is already over for him, but this is something that we know comes with the sport from time to time. Now, it’s time for Arnaud to heal up. His surgery went well, so we just need to focus on helping him make full recovery in the best way possible. He is working with some of the best shoulder specialists in the world, and on top of that we know he is very fit and very strong, so this gives us confidence that he will return to 100%, and is sure to come back stronger.”
Louis Vosters, Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team Owner
“The operation went really well, they have fixed his shoulder 100%, so that’s really positive. The doctors in Switzerland are really professional, they’re world-class, and so I have confidence in their treatment for Arnaud. I spoke to Arnaud yesterday and he was positive about the way the doctors in Switzerland are working. That is really good. Now it’s time to move forward. I know it won’t be an easy road and it will take some time. It’s of course really disappointing for him and for us at Wilvo Yamaha MXGP, but we understand that this is part of the sport and we will support Arnaud all the way.”
Copyright: Photo: Yamaha Racing
