Hammond back in the saddle (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Hammond back in the saddle

TWO years after his horrific crash in the Paris-Dakar race motorcyclist Dave Hammond is back competing and winning races.

The 40-year-old from South Cerney, who dropped from the 'death stage' - a 20ft drop from the top of a sand dune - was just a day away from completing the 6,500 mile race.

He was left paralysed suffering from a crushed vertebrae, broken collar bone and dislocated shoulders.

Lying in a hospital bed he was also told he may never walk again but after several operations and an amazing recovery Dave has just finished his first competitive season winning the 250cc pre 75 British Grasstrack Championship and finishing in the top three places in a number of other races.

He said: "Grasstrack racing is completely different from what I have done in the past but I'm really enjoying it.

"The distances are shorter and it's more about speed rather than the endurance of desert racing."

Despite lasting nerve cord damage Dave is not ruling out a return to the Paris-Dakar race.

He said: "I'm an optimistic sort of person and I hope some of the cord damage will improve or I may learn to live with it better.

"If that's the case I could go back into that type of event.

"There is no doubt the Dakar is the biggest draw out of all the desert races and although I finished once you live with the memory of your last performance."

The gruelling Dakar rally starts on New Year's Day, ranges from between 5,500 to 7,000 miles and takes about 17 days to complete.

Dave, who began riding motorcycles at 13, clearly remembers the day the accident happened.

"It wasn't a high speed incident," he said, "but the drop was further down then I realised, my legs gave way and the heavy landing broke my back.

"I had the first operation after about ten days and it was then I was told the paralysis was temporary and I would improve."

Dave, who jointly runs Peter Hammond Motorcycles in Cirencester with his sister Trish Hammond, says a lot of his recent success is down to Andy Peachey, who works on the bike.