The second to last round of the 2016 Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals on August 7 saw a highly energetic crowd cheer on Canada’s top riders. The track in Deschambault, Quebec, was described as one of the roughest of the year.

In Moto 1, Parts Canada rider Tyler Medaglia started near the front of the pack but soon fell behind after a tip-over in the second corner. Medaglia buckled down and fought hard the entire race to work his way back up to sixth place.

Moto 2 started with Medaglia in the Top 10 and by the last lap he had worked his way up to fourth place. With less than a lap to go, misfortune struck when he suffered a terrible crash on a fourth gear jump near the back of the track. He hit the ground hard in what he described as one of the hardest crashes he has had in years. In a show of true perseverance and determination, Medaglia continued and completed the race in an impressive sixth place.

“I fell in the first corner and came back from last place all the way up to fourth,” said Medaglia. “On the last lap, I hit a kicker while I was passing a lapper. I was in fourth gear wide open and went over the bars; it was the hardest crash I’ve taken in years. I got up and rode half a lap with one hand on the bars. The end result was a sixth-place finish, some bike damage and maybe a shoulder and rib injury. I’m going to get some X-rays to be sure I’m OK, and I’m hoping to be able to race the last round of the series next weekend.”

The next stop on the Canadian circuit is the final round on August 14, 2016, in Barrie, Ontario, where Medaglia is expected to finish off the season in good spirits surrounded by his fellow racers and family.