Motocrosser Stauffer

From fractured vertebrae to race comeback in 222 days

After breaking three vertebrae in November, motocross rider Marcel Stauffer is back at the start of a race. The 24-year-old fought every day for his comeback and has now been rewarded.

The "Krone" caught motocross rider Marcel Stauffer loading his bike. Where is he going? To the first race since his serious crash last November. As a reminder: during a training session in Italy, the man from Nussdorf broke two vertebrae in his neck and one in his chest. Doctors were initially unable to say whether he would ever be able to pursue his passion again. But the 2023 national champion fought every day for his return. At the beginning of May, the 24-year-old celebrated his first respectable success and trained on his bike again for the first time.

Comeback in the Czech Republic
Less than a month and a half later, he is once again up against the competition. "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm really looking forward to being back behind the starting gate," says Marcel, looking forward to the start like a child to the first Christmas. His comeback 222 days after the accident will take place at the Czech Championships in Prerov. There he will compete for the Osicka MX Team in the MX2 class. "I'm already excited. I want to know where I stand and then I want to continue working from there. The focus is on having fun," emphasizes the Flachgau native.

In hindsight, the good recovery process amazes him just a little: "It actually went extremely quickly. But that was also because I tried to do everything I could every day to heal. I think that was also a big factor." He is also "really grateful that everything is back to normal and turned out so well."