The season has just gone from bad to worse for Kiwi motocross hero Ben Townley.

The 28-year-old former MX2 world champion and the current New Zealand MX1 champion crashed at the first round of four in this season’s New Zealand Motocross Championships near Timaru in early February, suddenly and hopelessly derailing his title defence.

The Carlton Dry Honda team rider skipped rounds two and three of the series and resigned himself to the fact that he would be unable to retain his crown.

Townley had planned to make his comeback to action at the fourth and final round of the domestic series at the town of his birth, Taupo, over the Easter Weekend (on March 31).

But then those plans were also thrown out the window this week when he crashed while testing in Australia on Monday and broke his collarbone.

“I’m absolutely gutted,” Townley told BikesportNZ.com

“I’m not sure how long I will be out of action or whether I will be okay to start the Australian Motocross Championships (which kick off at Raymond Terrace on April 14).”

Townley is philosophical about the latest set-back.

“These sorts of things happen in motocross,” he said.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com