It seems like forever since Broc Tickle broke his back in Toronto and here he lets us know what is going on now.
It seems like forever since Broc Tickle broke his back in Toronto and here he lets us know what is going on now.
PulpMX – How are you feeling on the bike?
Broc – The last day I rode I felt really good. I felt like I was up to pace and I felt like I could run the speed for 20, 25 minutes which I thought was really good. But that was two weeks ago. I havenāt rode a bike in two weeks. Iām waiting to get my deal done for next year. Thatās the only thing Iām waiting on right now.
Do you still have the bike and you just canāt ride it? Or did you actually have to give it back?
No, basically I gave it back because I felt like I was to the level where I needed something. I was just riding a stock ā14 and they actually hooked me up with ā15 forks. I started feeling pretty comfortable on that because it was obviously the air setup. I think the ā14 stock suspension forks doesnāt really work for a pro level rider. But I think for an average level rider the ā14 forks are all right. But the stock ā14 forks for a professional rider, I donātā think itās really meant to work well. They got me ā15 forks and thatās as soon as I started feeling comfortable, right when they put those on. Basically I was to the point where I was ready to start doing motos and whatnot and I felt like I needed more.
They didnāt really want to give me anything better until we figured things out. So still at the moment waiting to get something done, which I think it should be soon. Iām looking forward to that. I think it was good though that I got two weeks of riding in pretty much, two and a half weeks. Obviously Iāve been on the couch for 5 months, 6 months.
You kind of question if you can still ride a dirt bike, which is a stupid question for somebody like myself or anybody else that does what I do, but it just obviously goes through your head. As soon as I knew I was okay that was a relief. Now that Iāve done that Iām ready to get back on the bike and start testing for Supercross and Iāll work my way into just slowly getting into Supercross. I feel like within a couple weeks Iāll be pretty solid. Main thing Iāll focus on when I start riding is just go out there and do as many laps as I can in a day and just have fun.
November 1st, thatās when I need to be on your game.
Would you consider that your ultimatum date? November 1st somethingās going to be done, regardless of where it is? Thatās when you want to be ready?
Iām hoping this week. Obviously after Monster Cup I should hopefully know 100% what Iām doing and just get started, like I said, until the end of the month. And then hopefully Iām good to go and start November 1st. Then Iāll be wide open until January pretty much.
I feel like I have enough time to still do it and thatās why Iām not stressing too much. And honestly I feel like cardio-wise, I feel like Iām the strongest Iāve been on the bicycle. Which that doesnāt mean crap in motocross but I feel like bicycle-wise and the cardio side of things I feel like Iām better than what I was. Thatās the positive. Thatās what Iāve been doing the last two weeks is getting stronger there and doing that and lightly doing sprint stuff because I didnāt want to do too much right away just because I did notice after the first week of strength training my back was tight and I felt like I needed to go see Dr. G. more and more. I feel like if I slowly work myself into doing that and then slowly work myself into Supercross everything will be smooth sailing to Anaheim. Thatās all Iām focused on right at the moment is getting ready for that.
Iām motivated.
I feel like if I would have already won championships, been on the podium in the 450s, there could have been a possibility that I might have just āletās find something else to do,ā but I feel like I have undone business and I need to get out there. I have some stuff that I want to accomplish before Iām done. My goal is to get out there and basically when I got hurt, take off from those last five races before that and hopefully start the season that well at Anaheim and build throughout the rest of the year.
For those two weeks that you did get to ride, say the last few days that you were riding before you had to give up that bike, did you notice any hesitancy in your attack level?
Whatās crazy is the first day I was like, come on, basically I was just getting myself prepare probably like anybody else would have, just take it easy, itās your first day back. You have a long time to get ready, just take it easy. And before you know it Iām jumping everything on the second lap, even though it was at Elsinore. Thereās not huge jumps there but right away second lap I jumped everything. It hasnāt really came into my head other than if I got like a little bit sketchy in a corner or whatnot, but still I feel like Iām actually more precise which is good. I think once I start Supercross itāll be good. Just go to the Suzuki track hopefully and get everything dialed in and itāll be a track that Iāve already rode and then go onto the public tracks and whatnot after that. Thatās the plan for right now.
Your back was feeling good though the last time that you rode? Thereās not any hitches or any little nerve pain?
No, honesty my back hasnāt bothered me one bit riding, not even a little bit. I over-jumped a jump probably one of the times that I rode and I was kind of bracing myself for it just because I thought about it and it didnāt event bother me one bit. That honestly surprised me. I feel like getting the hardware out was obviously a positive for me in the long run. I want to be around until Iām 30, 31, 32 maybe, run as long as I can. I feel like I have the potential to have a long career. Thatās the way I kind of visualized my career being, so I donāt want to let that go. Thatās kind of what Iām focused on, is to try to get back on my feet like I was before I got hurt and hopefully start off Anaheim right there where I was.
Broc was looking better than ever before his injury and he feels like he can be right there again. |
Was the hardware removal a suggestion by your doctor or was he kind of ambivalent about it but you knew that you wanted it out?
He was like, if youāre going to sit at a desk and do this or do that, I would just recommend leaving it. He said, you could leave it in, thereād be no problems. But youāre saying you want to race until youāre 31, 32, you need to get it taken out basically.
Itās going to happen at some point, right?
Yeah, exactly. He was just like, if youāre planning on racing, whatās another 6-8 weeks taking off time for an extra 4 or 5 years.
It seems like people like Roczen became the RCH poster boy overnight. Was that weird at all in the first few days? The last time you were riding you were the poster boy for RCH and then you got hurt and it was awesome the way they stood behind you and still supported you and gave you a bike to ride and stuff when you did come back. But was that weird the first few days when it was just all Roczen all over the place and you were still in the peripheral of the RCH program?
Not really just because he did just win the outdoor title. Even though Iām competitive and donāt really like that too much, any one of us isnāt going to like that too much, but you got to accept the fact that he just got done winning the outdoor championship. Iām hoping everything works out to where Iām there and he wants me on the team. I know he does because heās actually been hanging out with me quite a bit while he was in California, just started riding the bike and stuff. He has actually been around a lot. He and I get along really well. I feel like it would be a good motivation for me. It would kind of light a fire under me a little bit just because obviously Iām competitive and being on Lites teams, my main goal is to be the top guy on the team. Even though heās won Supercrosses in the 450 class and got on the podium and won the outdoor championship, Iām going to try my best to still put up a fight to be the top guy on the team.
It sounds like youāre committed to making this RCH relationship continue. Youāre going to give them every effort to make that happen.
For sure. The last two years with them, Iāve had two good years with them. Then this year the changes they made by hiring Kaipo and Sergio, which is the suspension guy. Sergio overlooks a lot of the whole bike, the chassis, the way everything works together. So him and Kaipo work really well together and I feel like that upped the program for me. I feel like thatās why my results got better in Supercross this year. With that being said, I think the whole program there, Iām pumped with and I donāt want change at the moment; I want to just move back where I was. It would just be an easier transition. Thatās the goal right now to just get back there and do what I can in the off-season. Iām sweating to ride at the moment. Itās been two weeks and Iām amped up and ready to go.
What are you going to do when you come back and your main man Berlutiās gone?
Iām kind of bummed about that but him and Feeney have been obviously the best mechanics Iāve had. Nothing against anybody else whoās worked for me, but Berlutiās enthusiasm and competitiveness was awesome. Anaheim 1 I got 8th and it was just a relief to me that I finished decent and he came back in and was just, āwhat the fuck was that? What are you doing? You could have had 7th!ā And thatās what I like. Itās awesome. It was good to have that. And then when my confidence started getting up and I started clicking the races off from Dallas – I think I went Dallas 6th, Atlanta 6th, Indianapolis 5th, and then I went to Daytona and got 4th, and then Detroit 6th – there were five races in a row where I just clicked off and had it. He was amped. And he had my back 100% the whole time.
If it works out with RCH Iāll get Richard which I know heās awesome. He has a good personality and him and Berluti go along really well. He has that upbeat personality and Iām kind of mellow so it kind of evens us out. Thatās kind of how Berluti was. I feel like thatās the kind of mechanic Iāll need, just somebody whoās upbeat and really positive and all about your rider. Thatās what itās about when youāre a mechanic is being all about your guy and thatās it.
Are you planning at being at the Monster Cup this weekend?
Yeah, Iām going to head over there and just hang out and whatnot. Itāll just be fun to watch and see everybody on their new bikes if theyāre going to be there. Itās actually been pretty cool watching. Obviously it wasnāt that cool watching all the outdoors but I feel like Iāve learned a lot just watching the other guys ride. I feel like that helped me when I first got back on the bike. I felt like I was paying attention to stuff Iāve never paid attention to. The main thing I focused on when I got back riding was just carrying momentum and be off the brakes. Thatās kind of what Roczen, Dungey, and the guys winning outdoors were doing. I felt like I was thinking about that the whole time I was riding the last two weeks.
When youāre in it as much as all you guys are, definitely when youāre forced to take a step back and have a broader perspective, that probably gives you a whole fresh view that you hadn’t even considered for a long time and gives you an opportunity to really look at it from a different angle.
Yeah, exactly. Obviously in outdoors thereās Dungey and Roczen basically fighting for the championship and I feel like both of those guys do a lot of stuff obviously really well. I think Roczen being around me, if we can get this thing done and ready for next year, I think itās just going to help me because he looks effortless. Heās almost like Pourcel when I was in the Lites class. All I did literally when I was on Star Racing was obviously watch Pourcel because it was so effortless. There were other guys that were just as fast but Pourcel was putting out half the effort, at least it looked like it. Roczenās kind of the same way. I feel like I studied Pourcel whenever I was on Star and I feel like it helped me, and I feel like if I get everything together with Roczen being on the same team as me is only gonna help me in the long run.