Adam Cianciarulo has elected to withdraw from the 2021 AMA Lucas Oils Pro Motocross championship to undergo an ulnar nerve procedure in his right arm.
Last year’s championship runner-up had been dealing with the issue for the past couple of years and had undergone a nerve decompression procedure before the 2021 Supercross season. The procedure failed to fix the problem completely with his strength deteriorating through the motocross season.
“I’ve been dealing with an ulnar nerve issue for the past couple of years,” Cianciarulo explained. “Randomly, I started having problems with it at the end of 2019. In 2020 it was mostly manageable and I really thought it was just arm pump. However, it continued to get worse this past off-season to the point where I couldn’t do more than a few laps at a time.
“After a lot of tests and scans, I had nerve decompression procedure right before SX ‘21. I’ve experienced minor relief from that, but not enough to be myself out there. I lose what feels like most of the strength in my right hand gradually as I’m riding.
“I’ve tried to be smart and do my best—but at this point, the only logical decision is to get it fixed. It’s a relatively simple procedure, but it will put me out for the rest of this season. This has been difficult, mentally and physically. It’s driven me mad a few times if I’m honest.
“I’ve learned a lot about focusing on the things you can control and not getting lost worrying about the things you can’t. Ultimately, I’m always grateful for my challenges and the things they teach me. Surgery is this morning and I’m happy to get it sorted so I can continue going after my goals and get back to having fun on my dirtbike. I’ll be back and better. Thank you for your continued support,” He concluded.
The culmination of Cianciarulo’s ongoing battle came at the Spring Creek National. While running second in the first moto, the Kawasaki rider crashed but quickly reentered the action. Shortly thereafter he pulled into the mechanic’s area and ultimately recorded a DNF. Cianciarulo failed to line up on the gate for Moto 2, which suggested a more significant concern had presented itself.
