James Haydon injured in mountain bike crash

© Virgin Media Racing. In a cruel twist of fate, James Haydon has suffered a shoulder injury while out training on his mountain bike. James was undertaking his usual training regime in preparation for round four of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

An initial examination revealed ligament damage to his left shoulder. Doctors have advised that he takes time out to rest in order to minimise the recovery period.

Raceways Yamaha rider Hudson Kennaugh has been drafted in as a replacement for the next round. The 26-year old South African currently lies second in the National Superstock Championship, riding a Yamaha R1. Hudson set a new lap record on his way to victory at Silverstone last weekend. He will test at Cadwell Park tomorrow and race at Oulton Park this weekend.

James Haydon: "I'm absolutely gutted. Just as I thought things were starting to come together, a silly thing like falling off a mountain bike has set me right back. I'm in a fair amount of pain, and can't lift my left arm. The doctor thinks I may have aggravated the injuries from Snetterton last year. They said I could be out for a month or so, but hope to be back on a bike before too long."

Rob McElnea, Team Principal: "This is a great shame as James has been making great progress over the past few weeks. At Silverstone we thought we had turned the corner with his first point-scoring race. Hopefully he won't be out of action for too long, though realistically he could be out for the next two rounds. Steve Rogers from Raceways Yamaha has kindly allowed us to use Hudson as a temporary rider for the next round."