A couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, we got a chance to hear from Eli Tomac for the first time in a proper setting since he was at Yamaha's ride day at Washougal. It was there we found out the plan was to get back on the bike "Middle of October...November first, somewhere in there." Two (2) days into October, He posts this on Instagram.
Eli Tomac ruptured his left Achilles Tendon on May 6 and got back on the bike on October 2...149 post op and he's back on the bike...
Ahead of Schedule
According to the folks over at Mass General Hospital, their protocol for an unrestricted return to sport from an Achilles Tear/Rupture begins at the six-month mark. We're not even at the five-month mark yet, which is a testament to the kind of freak athletes and psychopaths these riders are, Tomac perhaps more than any. I'd like to think the biggest thing between now and mid-November is to get Tomac used to taking contact through the bike with that left leg. I have no worries that his fitness and racecraft have disappeared, but getting over that mental hump of getting used to absorbing hits through the footpegs is the biggest hurdle for him at this stage.
What's Eli Tomac's Outlook in 2024
Under the assumption everything goes according to plan, there's no reason to assume that Tomac isn't going to be competing for race wins and a Supercross Championship right away. The real question is if he's Supercross only. Last year, Tomac was on a Supercross-only deal with the option to run the whole year, and that's the same case in 2024. He made it sound like he would have really wanted to do SMX when we saw him in Los Angeles, so I would say probably. I could definitely see him doing only a partial outdoor schedule though.
Main Image via FELD