Toseland surgery ahead of Land Speed bid

More than two years after a wrist injury curtailed his career, two-time WSBK champion James Toseland is still in pain.

13 Dec 2013

Toseland, British WSBK 2011
© Gold and Goose

By Christina Bulpett

James Toseland is due to fly to France next week to have a second surgical procedure on his right wrist in a bid to regain further movement ahead of his bid to break the Land Speed Record on a motorcycle.

The injury that cut short the two-time World Champion's racing career has continued to plague him since his retirement more than two years ago but the limited options open to him previously, a full fuse of the wrist removing all pain, but also all movement, or a false wrist, were far from palatable.

"It's just got to the point where it feels like a broken wrist most days," he said, speaking during his latest tour with new band Toseland. "I have to stand to the left of the keys [when playing the piano] because my wrist wont bend. There's a certain amount of pain that, personally, I can deal with but when you get to that certain pain level it can be really depressing.

"They are going to see if they can fuse a couple of bones, and see if they can take the pain away primarily and if they can get a bit more movement for me. So touch wood, if they can, I'll be over the moon."

The surgery is also to aid the ongoing preparation to contest the Land Speed record in September 2014. Working with an all-British team, Toseland, in the '52 Express', is hoping to break the 400 mph barrier to claim the World's Fastest Man on Two Wheels title, proving his determination to compete at a World Championship level has not diminished since he bowed out of the World Superbike Championship in 2011.

"I've just got my suit and my helmet and we'll be doing the fitting for my seat soon, so really looking forward to that. We start testing in May and the event is, I think, the third week in September, in Bonneville. Trying to be the first person to go over 400mph so it's pretty intense. I can't wait to get testing and riding it and get a feel for it."

Toseland's latest UK tour concluded at London's Islington Academy on the 11th December, with the debut album released on March 24th 2014. The Land Speed record is expected to run on the Legendary Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, in September 2014.