For Australian Jed Beaton, it has been a horrible start to the 2019 MX2 championship. After sitting out a lot of 2018 with serious damage with a compound fracture to his left tibia and fibula while also breaking his right ankle. Both required surgery and the doctors installed a rod in his left leg and a plate with six screws in my right ankle.

Fully recovered at the start of this season, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna factory rider went into the pre-season races full of confidence and assured he would be a front runner in the 2019 championship.

As fate would have it, Beaton crashed at the final pre-season race in France, and damaged a vertebrae in his back. Already out of the opening round in Argentina, the comeback still seems unknown, as Beaton needs to return to the doctor for a check-up on the back. We caught up with him and asked him about his recovery and when he might be back.

MXlarge: Jed, how are you doing, how is your recovery?

Beaton: Really good thank you.

MXlarge: Do you know when you will be back?

Beaton: Not yet, I have doctor’s appointment soon, so I will know more then.

Mxlarge: When is that appointment?

Beaton: Soon actually.

MXlarge: Are you able to train or anything like that at the moment?

Beaton: I can pretty much do everything but ride the bike.

MXlarge: I can imagine you are pretty gutted after having been out so long with your injuries from 2018 and now this?

Beaton: Yes, pretty pissed off that is for sure.

MXLarge: How did you feel before the accident?

Beaton: Pretty good to be honest. We obviously went to the pre-season races, just to get our feet wet and race again after a long time out. Hawkstone was my first race back and I got a really shitty qualification spot, and at Hawkstone that makes it difficult, because the top qualifiers can put sand on the top of the concrete and then there are just eight to 10 gates that are good 12^th or something. So I would end up on the concrete. I didn’t have much fun and it wasn’t much of a hit-out, if you know what I mean. A week later I wanted to do better and show what I can do, and the track was better and a bit more even. I felt good in practice, behind Thomas my team-mate and then timed qualification the track was getting faster and I went from second to fifth, and then first, and back to fourth, and I was on hot lap when the crash happened. I was seventh or sixth and the speed was good. I was keen to get it underway. I thought I just stiff in my back and neck and I went to get a check-up the next morning and found out I had a fracture in my vertebrae.

MXlarge: How did you crash?

Beaton: There was a drop-off, and the dirt there is a bit weird, like gravel, so the ruts don’t really hold up. I was riding a rut and I gave it a little too much and my back wheel went through the gravelly stuff. Hit a bump of a drop off and it hit back the other way and I tried to hang onto it and it kicked the other way and I landed pretty hard.

MXlarge: I can imagine you didn’t want to watch Argentina, but did you watch it?

Beaton: I ended up watching it, but I was pissed watching it.

MXLarge: Mitchell did really well. From memory he replaced you for the des Nations at Maggiora in 2016 when you got injured, or not?

Beaton: Yes, he did actually.

MXlarge: Did you race him at all back in Australia?

Beaton: He is from the top of Queensland and I am from the very bottom of Australia. To be honest, I didn’t get to race him that much, it was maybe once a year for the juniors and I am not sure if he is a year younger than me.

MXlarge: You are fellow Aussies, and as an Australian I was really proud to see the Australian flag on the podium. For you, was that a bit bitter sweet, because you couldn’t be there?

Beaton: No, not really. Obviously I couldn’t be there and it was still awesome to see and Aussie flag up there. I am a real Aussie, so it was awesome to see our flag up there. For a while it didn’t look like anyone else was coming over and it’s cool to see him come over and do well and it’s cool to see kids from Australia doing well. I hope they can see we are not that bad in Australia.

MXlarge: I would imagine it could be a massive bonus for both of you if you are both fighting for podium places, because a rivalry between countrymen is always good.

Beaton: Yes, for sure, it’s always good, but it is really just another racer on the track and you want to beat them. To be honest, it doesn’t matter if we are fighting for a podium place and there is a Spanish and Danish flag on the podium, it isn’t where you want to be just because it’s another Australian. You want to be trying to fight for the top step, and it doesn’t matter who is out there, just get the best result possible.

MXlarge: So you have no real idea when you will be back, like Valkenswaard, or Italy?

Beaton: Well, at this point, I don’t know when I will be back, and it isn’t my decision, but the doctor’s decision, and if I get the green light, or he says another week then that’s it. In my head I am confident I will be back as soon as possible. Hopefully I will have good news and we can go from there.

Bavo Swijgers image