VOL. 55 ISSUE 42 OCTOBER 23, 2018 P49
KAILUB RUSSELL OUT FOR ISDE
F
MF KTM's Kailub Russell fought hard to bring home his sixth GNCC title, but the effort proved to be
all he could muster for the 2018 season. The 28-year-old fought through a nagging shoulder injury
during the final stretch of the championship and announced via social media that he finally underwent
surgery last week to repair it.
"Doc had to put 10 anchors in to hold [my labrum] down since it was basically completely detached,"
Russell explained in an Instagram post. Kailub also mentioned "having spend the night in the hospital as
well because they couldn't wake me up after the operation."
Russell is now recuperating at home with his family, but will sit out the 2018 ISDE, which he was
slated to attend as a member of the U.S. Trophy Team.
Team Manager Antti Kallonen has yet to officially announce a replacement rider, but rumors suggest
Grant Baylor might be bumped up from the Junior squad. In 2016 when Ryan Sipes was injured only
days before he was schedule to depart for the Six Days, Kallonen promoted Junior rider Layne Michael
to the Trophy Team. (It proved to be a good move, as it marked the first-ever victory for the U.S. at the
ISDE.)
Other rumors suggest there might be an entirely new rider coming in to take Russell's place, though
logistics are difficult at this point as equipment has already been shipped to Vina del Mar, Chile, where
this year's ISDE will take place November 12-17. CN
It's been a remarkable year for
six-time GNCC winner Kailub
Russell, but shoulder surgery
will keep him from competing in
the 2018 ISDE.
