It’s been a while since Adam Cianciarulo found himself gearing up for a Monster Energy AMA Supercross race — almost a year, to be exact.
The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider suffered a knee injury at the San Diego round of Supercross last January and has spent the last 12 months getting back into race shape. However, the 26-year-old admitted he’s also been struggling with numbness in his hands, which has been a frustrating roadblock on his long road back to the top.
As he arrives in Anaheim, Calif., to contend for his fourth season in the 450cc class, Cianciarulo is adamant that he still has more left in the tank. He shared with the media on Friday afternoon that he has recently taken positive strides in his recovery during the offseason.
“When I first got back on the bike, I had some things I needed to work through, some things that weren’t ideal. Obviously, you want to be able to feel your handlebars the best you can,” Cianciarulo said. “But I feel healthy and I feel like I’m in a good spot.”
Due to a recent procedure, his condition has been steadily improving and the Kawasaki rider has no reason to believe it will interfere with his performance this season. If he can stay injury-free, Cianciarulo hopes to move his Supercross career in an upward trajectory.
“I think we all have this idea of the way that our career wants to go. Obviously, everybody wants to come in and do what Eli’s been doing,” Cianciarulo said. “As far as my results the last few years, it’s been unfortunate. I’ve had some crashes, some injuries, taken a lot of time off.”
But after being back in the room with his fellow competitors and feeling the energy, Cianciarulo has a noticeable sense of rejuvenation.
“I really love this stuff,” Cianciarulo said. “It’s not fun to be away from it.”
The Kawasaki rider has yet to complete a full season of Supercross since his move to the 450 class in 2020. While he entered the premier division as one of the industry’s most promising stars, injuries have been his Achilles heel.
He exited the 2020 season early with a back injury, suffered a broken collarbone in 2021, entered 2022 with lingering shoulder problems and, in addition to the crash that officially took him out of contention last year, he’s been fighting an arm issue with his ulna nerve. At this stage, Cianciarulo is anxious to be back in the fight and is hopeful he’s physically ready to return.
“Overall, I’m proud of my body of work. I’m proud of how I’ve handled things,” Cianciarulo said.
“And I still feel like I have a lot left to give.”