Mangakino's Kayne Lamont is fighting back

Mangakino's Kayne Lamont is fighting back.

The 21-year-old former New Zealand MX2 champion has been back on his beloved Yamaha only two months now and almost 100 percent recovered from two serious smashes near the start of the year.

He hopes he'll be able to put those hard months of recovery behind him and be a part of a winning team at his first major outing in Taupo this weekend.

Lamont will race an Altherm JCR Yamaha Team YZ450F in the MX1 category for the South Waikato Motorcycle Club's team at Saturday's sixth annual Battle of the Clubs motocross in Taupo, the popular event a fundraiser to help send a three-rider Kiwi squad to the annual Motocross of Nations in Europe in September.

Lamont has previously been an integral part of New Zealand's efforts at the Motocross of Nations, regarded as the "Olympic Games of motocross", having raced in Belgium (in 2012) and Germany (in 2013), and he is on the shortlist of six riders from which three will be selected for New Zealand's 2015 campaign in France.

But first he has to prove himself and Saturday's big race at the Digger McEwen Motocross Park will be an element of that.

"I had a huge crash at the Whakatane Summercross (in December 2014) and then, just after I had recovered from that, I had a training ride crash and dislocated my left hand in January.

"I've been back on a bike now since May and slowly building up my strength again. My wrist is feeling not too bad, although it's a bit stiff on cold mornings. My grip on the bike is good and that's the main thing.

"I'm riding a Yamaha YZ450F at the Battle of the Clubs this weekend and at the Tarawera 100 (cross-country marathon near Kawerau) the following weekend just because I need to continue building strength in my arms."

The 2014 national MX2 champion will revert back to his Yamaha YZ250F for the upcoming 2016 New Zealand Motocross Championships but will switch up to the MX1 class after that.

In the meantime, Lamont is also preparing for another racing adventure in the United Kingdom and he leaves for his base in Cheltenham, England, in three weeks' time.

"I've missed the start of their season in the UK, but I'll compete at six races, in three different series, including the British Motocross Championships, on a Yamaha YZ250F.

"I have literally no real experience yet on an MX1 bike, so I won't be racing the big bike internationally just yet and don't consider myself an MX1 bike candidate for the Motocross of Nations team either."

Soon to turn 22, Lamont still has youth on his side and, with all the racing he has planned over the coming months, it is anticipated that it won't be long before he's back to his best.

Lamont is supported by BikesportNZ.com and his Altherm JCR Yamaha Racing team is supported by Altherm Window Systems, Yamaha, JCR, CRC, Ados, GYTR, Yamalube, Fox Racing, Hollands Collision Centre, Star Moving, Ward Demolition, Fulton Hogan, Pirelli, FMF, DID, NGK, Matrix, Renthal, Motomuck, Workshop Graphics, Motoseat, Hammerhead, SKF, Vertex Pistons, Rtech Plastics, Etnies, Biketranz and Fulton Hogan.

ENDS

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