Davey Coombs:
My heart sunk when I heard that Canard got injured again. I didn't want to believe it because I like to believe that good things happen to good people, and #41 is definitely in that class. He's been through hell (though he would call it Hades) in the last couple of years with the femur breaks, and now he's got this on top of it. It kind of reminds me of Sebastien Tortelli, an amazing rider and all-around nice guy who spent what should have been the best years of his career struggling with injuries.
While it's too early to know the full extent of Canard's injury and how long he will be out, the damage is doubled by the fact that he was on the comeback trail as it was after his frightening crash at Washougal. Even if it's just six weeks on the sideline, these are six crucial weeks.
Honda may have a problem too: Do they move up Justin Barcia again or do they reach out to Kevin Windham? This broken collarbone could affect a couple of teams.
Jason Weigandt:
When a rider of tremendous talent gets lazy and fails to produce, we get frustrated watching such ability go to waste. But at least we emerge with a clear view or what's wrong and what's right in the sporting world—those that put in the work succeed, and those that do not, don't. It's much more frustrating to see a rider stocked with talent and desire not getting what he deserves. When injuries pile onto a guy like they have for Canard lately, we begin to question everything, like, "Why does this guy keep getting hurt?" and, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" And there aren't simple answers, which only makes it more frustrating. Canard has it all—he's talented, he works hard, he wants it, he surrounds himself with good people, he's a humble, funny, genuinely nice guy—he deserves better than this.
Unfortunately, it happens. Most forget now, but another red head that came blazing through the amateur ranks and showed great speed as a pro was also derailed by injuries: Broc Hepler. Hepler wasn't quite as outgoing as Canard, and he didn't land the championships that Canard has, so he wasn't as popular. But at his best, he was Canard-level fast, as he too was stocked with both talent and desire. Talent and desire should equal success, but Hepler just couldn't shake the injuries, and a long bout with a concussion eventually sent him into retirement.
Thankfully, while femur breaks are gnarly, Canard still hasn't suffered an injury that's career threatening in quality. It's the quantity that gets scary. How many times can a rider bounce back? We know the answer we want, but that doesn't seem to be the one we're getting right now. For the sake of all that is supposed to be right, heal up for good, Trey!
Chase Stallo:
It appears Trey Canard has suffered yet another major setback in his return to racing. Although a broken collarbone is not quite as devastating as two broken femurs in one year, it begs the question: Is Canard injury-prone?
This will be his fifth major injury in the past four years: broken femur in ’08, broken wrist in ’09, two broken femurs in ’11 and now this. The kid has speed to kill for days, but can he stay healthy for an entire season?
While I don’t think this injury will cause him to miss much time, although missing any testing at this point is a significant impediment—especially for someone coming off two broken femurs. Hopefully this will only be a minor delay in his recover and he will be on the gate come A1, because he is a major title threat… when healthy.
Ping:
Not again. I know it's only a collarbone but when I saw that Tweet come through my stomach dropped. After bringing his broken femur tally to three last year I hoped he would be able to stay healthy for all of 2012. After all, Trey is one of very few riders capable of winning races every time he lines up.
It can be so discouraging when injuries just keep coming one after another, the way they have for Canard. Hopefully this doesn't slow him down too much. The bad news here is that he obviously won't be racing the opener and his championship hopes are all but dashed. Plus, I'm a stress eater and this injury to my favorite rider could mean an even thicker layer of "Holiday weight."
The good news is that collarbones are a pretty simple fix and it won't keep him off the bike for long. Once the plate is screwed in the bone itself is stable. It will just be a matter of waiting for the incision to heal and dealing with the pain. My biggest question is: Now who am I going to cheer for at A1? Get well soon, Trey.
