Adam Cianciarulo Undergoes Arm Surgery, Will Miss Remainder of Pro Motocross
At the Spring Creek National, Adam Cianciarulo was applying pressure to race leader Justin Barcia early in the first moto. Unfortunately, Cianciarulo washed the front end of his Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450 and crashed. He remounted but eventually would pit before pulling out of the race after completing only 11 laps (he was credited with 34th officially). He did not line up for the start of the second moto as he continues to deal with a nagging nerve issue in his right hand/arm.
“I had a really positive weekend going early in Moto 1,” Cianciarulo said in a post-race press release from Kawasaki. “I was sitting in second and battling for the lead before my crash. After the accident, I noticed there was something wrong and I had to pull off. Unfortunately, I couldn’t line up for Moto 2. I never like ending my weekend early, but we’re looking at the bigger picture.”
Through the first few rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, Cianciarulo showed great speed but often dropped back in the second half of the motos, usually citing arm pump. At RedBud, he finally admitted that he had been struggling with the same ulnar nerve issue that had plagued him previously. He told our Steve Matthes that the procedure he had done in December of 2020 hadn't worked as he hoped, and his doctor informed him that in about two out of every 100 cases, the surgery doesn't provide the needed benefit. Unfortunately, Adam appears to be part of that two percent. His doctor, however, can do a different procedure, and that's what Adam was planning to get done at some point.
This morning, Cianciarulo announced he has undergone that surgery on his arm—which will keep him out for the remainder of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. He said on Instagram, “at this point the only logical decision is to get it fixed.”
Through six rounds of the championship, Cianciarulo has one moto win (the first High Point National moto) and two overall podiums (third overall at the Thunder Valley National and second overall at the High Point National). He sits ninth in the 450 Class points standings after six rounds with 147 points, over 100 points behind championship leader Dylan Ferrandis (262 points).
Below is Cianciarulo’s full post.
“I’ve been dealing with an ulnar nerve issue for the past couple of years. Randomly, I started having problems with it at the end of 2019. In 2020 it was mostly manageable and I really thought it was just arm pump. However, it continued to get worse this past off-season to the point where I couldn’t do more than a few laps at a time. After a lot of tests and scans, I had nerve decompression procedure right before SX ‘21. I’ve experienced minor relief from that, but not enough to be myself out there. I lose what feels like most of the strength in my right hand gradually as I’m riding. I’ve tried to be smart and do my best—but at this point the only logical decision is to get it fixed. It’s a relatively simple procedure, but it will put me out for the rest of this season. This has been difficult, mentally and physically. It’s driven me mad a few times if I’m honest. I’ve learned a lot about focusing on the things you can control and not getting lost worrying about the things you can’t. Ultimately, I’m always grateful for my challenges and the things they teach me. Surgery is this morning and I’m happy to get it sorted so I can continue going after my goals and get back to having fun on my dirt bike. I’ll be back and better. Thank you for your continued support. Talk to you soon.”
