Steve Holcombe on the road to recovery following successful ACL knee surgery

Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team's Steve Holcombe has started the long road to recovery following successful surgery to repair the torn ACL he sustained at the opening round of the FIM EnduroGP World Championship.

Forced to withdraw from the second day of competition in Portugal just over two weeks ago, Steve returned home to Italy before travelling to Turin last week to consult with renowned orthopedic and trauma surgeon Dr. Francesco Caranzano. There, they fully assessed the injury to his left knee and determined a treatment plan.

On Tuesday, 15 April, Dr. Francesco Caranzano successfully operated on Steve, reconstructing the injured ACL.

Naturally, Steve is more than disappointed to have seen his bid for a 10th world title end so soon in 2025. But, true to the spirit and determination that made him one of enduro's most decorated riders, Steve is already fully focused on doing all he can to aid his recovery and subsequent return to racing.

Steve would like to wholeheartedly thank the Honda Racing RedMoto Enduro Team, his loyal sponsors, family and friends, and enduro fans for their well wishes and support.

Steve Holcombe: "The operation last week went very well, Dr Francesco Caranzano was happy with what he found inside my knee and with the work he was able to carry out. My ACL was reconstructed using a piece from my hamstring, both meniscuses were tightened, and an extra ligament called an extra-articular lateral tenodesis (LET) was added to support the knee even further. The expected recovery time is beyond six months, that's until Dr Francesco is confident the ACL will have properly healed. This is the first time in my career that I've had an injury of this magnitude, which has forced me out of an entire season. But I'm keeping positive. There's a lot of work to do in getting myself back to full fitness and getting the full strength and mobility back into my knee, but I'm looking ahead, working towards my next race, my next training session, and the next season. I'm going to enjoy the time now where I can focus on the details of my rehab and make sure I come back better than I left. Also, as soon as I'm mobile, I'll have some time to start work on my collection of old Hondas, which need some restoration. The first on my to-do list is a 2003 CR250, followed by a 1995 CR250 and some lovely 1988 CR125s!"