Sexton on NBC Sports Will Christien Reflects while speaking relect on eli tomac injury in Denver Monster Energy Supercross race 2023 as there prepare for next

 

DENVER, Colorado – In a shocking turn of events at the Denver Monster Energy Supercross, Eli Tomac’s 2023 season came to an abrupt end after he ruptured his Achilles tendon just three minutes into the race. Tomac, who was leading the race at the time of the incident, landed hard in the rhythm section, causing the injury that would not only end his night but also his bid for a second consecutive Supercross championship.

The incident occurred in front of Tomac’s hometown crowd, adding to the heartbreak of the moment. As he attempted to continue, it quickly became clear that the pain was too severe. Tomac rode slowly through the next straight, his left foot raised, before heading directly to the Alpine Medical trailer, where the medical crew assisted him inside.

At the time of the injury, Tomac held an 18-point lead over Chase Sexton in the standings and was in prime position to clinch the championship if he won the race and Sexton finished worse than sixth. For the first few minutes, it appeared that Sexton might not pose a threat, as he was initially outside the necessary mark.

However, the landscape of the championship quickly changed. While Tomac was receiving medical attention,

Sexton was closing in on race leader Adam Cianciarulo. Moments later, Sexton took the lead, effectively dropping Tomac to second place in the standings with a seven-point deficit.

This is the second significant blow to the championship race in as many weeks. Just the week prior, Cooper Webb crashed during his heat and suffered a concussion, which forced him out of contention. Webb’s exit had allowed Sexton to move into second place in the standings, keeping his title hopes alive.

Tomac’s night had initially seemed promising despite a cautious start. In the heat race, he had been engaged in a battle for the top spot with Sexton. After Sexton took the lead, Tomac appeared to shift into safe mode, finishing the heat in second place.

In the main event, Tomac quickly demonstrated why he has been a dominant force in Supercross. Starting the race in third, he blitzed through the whoops and took the lead by the end of Lap 1. Tomac was pulling away from the field when the fateful incident occurred.

As time ticked down, the announcement came that Tomac’s Achilles injury would prevent him from competing in the final race of the season, effectively handing the championship to Sexton.

“It’s definitely a lot of mixed emotions right now,” Sexton told NBC Sports’ Will Christien. “It’s not the way you want to see someone go out. Eli’s an awesome competitor. We had a lot of good battles this year.”

With Tomac out, Sexton is poised to claim the championship, but the victory will be bittersweet, overshadowed by the untimely end to Tomac’s season and his hopes of defending his Supercross title.