Click on pic for more photos of Tracy! Photo by Lucas Kane

Editor's Note: This fall, MountainZone.com caught up with Tracy Moseley just before the Mountain Bike World Championships in Les Gets, where Moseley was favored to de-throne Anne-Caroline Chausson of France in the downhill. After the initial interview took place and a week before the Worlds, Moseley injured herself during a race and was forced to withdraw. After the accident, we caught up with Moseley again to find out what happened. Below are our interviews from before and after the accident.

After the Accident

MZ: Where and at what race did you injure yourself?

Moseley: The final round of the Maxxis Cup Series in Port Aine, Spain.

MZ: What happened exactly?

Moseley: I was riding on the first day of practice and I drifted wide around a corner to try and carry some more speed. I rode through a bush and a small branch caught my pedal and stopped my bike which sent me over the bars. I just remember feeling really high in the air and I must have landed straight on my right shoulder.

MZ: What happened next?

Moseley: I popped up straight away feeling an immense pain in my shoulder. I thought initially that it was my collar bone, but after running my hand along my collar bone I realized it was still intact. I then realized it must be my shoulder. A few seconds later, my friend Lisa Sher came down the course and took one look at me and said, "I think you dislocated your shoulder."

MZ: What was the final diagnosis and what are you doing to recover?

Moseley: I had shoulder arthroscopy (key hole surgery) where I had a bankart repair, which is where the cartilage is re-attached to the shoulder socket (glenoid). At the same time he also found damage to my biceps tendon.

This looked as though it was an old injury that had been further damaged from the dislocation. I had to have a piece removed and the tendon reattched to the glenoid, so I think I had a full service!! I am now in a 12 week recovery process, with intensive physio to regain the movement of my shoulder and then rebuild the strength of it. So hopefully I will be back on my bike by Christmas!

MZ: Up until this season you've had relatively few injuries for a DH rider. What has this season taught you?

Moseley: I have certainly been very fortunate to have not had any serious injuries until this year. This, however, has taught me that it only takes a fraction of a second to completely change that. It makes me realize the risks that I take on a daily basis and that I don't always bounce!!

MZ: What are your goals for next year?

Moseley: My goals are to be back to full strength and fitness for next season to try and accomplish my goals within the sport - To win the world cup and world championships.

Before the Accident

MZ: You’ve been riding the course in Les Gets, France preparing for the World Championships - any comments?

Moseley: It’s quite a new track with a lot of steep and technical sections. It’s going to be quite a short race in the dry - about three minutes - but if it’s wet on race day, it’s going to be really difficult as there will be so many places to make mistakes. Overall, it’s going to be a great track to determine the World Champion.

MZ: Do you find it frustrating that everyone puts so much emphasis on The Worlds when it’s really just one race out of the entire season?

Moseley: Some people say that the World Cup is a truer test because it’s over a season instead of one day, but then you can’t say you’re World Champion. I guess Olympic Champion has a slightly bigger ring to it, but we don’t have that opportunity, so the World Championships is definitely the biggest title in mountain biking.

MZ: All the English fans are rooting for you; in fact, the English seem to be really enthusiastic about the mountain biking scene. Why is that?

Moseley: There’s a lot of patriotism with the Brits; I’d say we’re a patriotic country in general and the World Championships is the one race each year where you forget who you’re teammates are and you concentrate on who’s from your home country.