remy metailler taxco urban downhill

Commencal Rider Remy Metailler Breaks Back in Mexico

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Urban downhill racing is on the rise and sees riders race through towns and villages over a selection of street and custom-made obstacles. The format has ben around for a while now, and with every passing race the tracks have become even more challenging and ever more dangerous.

Taxco featured a number of staircases, drops and even a set of manmade dirt jumps. It was on these dirt jumps that the Commencal Team rider ran into trouble. Metailler attempted to backflip over the final huge jump but overshot the landing resulting in the “biggest slam” of his life.

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Luckily though the break hasn’t paralyzed the rider and in fact he was able to get up and even dance around after the accident. Medical staff at the event originally diagnosed the injury as muscle damage but a check up in Guadalajara revealed a cracked and compressed T6 vertebrae.

Half a second after that shot I broke my back. I have not been progressing as fast as I wanted since I starting riding because I have always made my health the priority over the results or any other thing. The past saturday, I flipped the last jump of #DownhillTaxco and overshot a tiny bit. Just enough to take the biggest slam of my life, all on my back. I made a mistake and I landed like you never want to land. The shock was horrible and I knew even before I bounced on the floor that I had broken a vertebra. I wanted to make sure I won’t move before doing X-rays. The doctors took care of me and told me it was just the muscles. At this point I was just so happy but I knew my body and that it was probably more than this. The pain was not bad. I walked and danced fine after they told me I was ok, without taking any drugs. Yesterday I went to double check in Guadalajara before flying to France. Within two seconds the doctor saw I had cracked and compressed my T6. I was just walking, holding things, bending with no real struggle. My bones were not painful. Now I am going to rest the bone, and then go back to the gym to get stronger and healthier than ever. I am so determined and motivated to work harder than ever. Thanks @interproteccion, @altiusevents, @northmanco and @mdhbikes for the support. Photo by @nicoswit_photo. @commencalbikes @maxxistires @raceface604 @camelbak @vorsprungsuspension @acros_components @e13_components @htcomponents @allmountainstyle @whistlercore @camplifecoffee @whistlergrocery @whistlertrainer @bellbikehelmets @smithoptics. Thanks as well to every other riders, fans for the support and the great times. See you very soon.

A photo posted by Rémy Métailler (@remymetailler) on

Metailler plans to be fit and riding again soon, but will obviously take some time off from backflips and whips while he heals

Serious accidents like this seem to be plaguing mountain biking recently and it was only a few weeks ago that riders at the Redbull Rampage refused to drop in due to safety concerns. With these recent safety concerns is it time for mountain bike events to take a closer look at safety or is it up to the athletes who take part to decide if the risk is worth taking or now?

Andi is a gadget guru and mountain biker who has lived and ridden bikes in China and Spain before settling down in the Peak District to become Singletrack's social media expert. He is definitely more big travel fun than XC sufferer but his bike collection does include some rare hardtails - He's a collector and curator as well as a rider. Theory and practice in perfect balance with his inner chi, or something. As well as living life based on what he last read in a fortune cookie Andi likes nothing better than riding big travel bikes.

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