Was Detroit one of Adam Cianciarulo’s best pro performances?

It’s no secret Adam Cianciarulo has had a lot of hype, and also no secret that injuries have prevented him having any chance to live up to that hype, but on Saturday night in Detroit we saw something a bit special from AC.

Yes he has won four supercross races, yes he even won Daytona two weeks ago but the races he won were from the front, he has ticked that box, we know he can do that.

His performance in Detroit was something different. He crashed while in a position to win and came through from fifth to halve the deficit on the leaders and get on the podium – and did it all with an injured knee.

The result means Adam is now right in the championship hunt with three to go, a four-way battle for the championship that will be won by the rider who can best deal with the pressure.

“To say that I let one get away would be a bit of a detriment to these guys up here because everyone was flying tonight.” said a respectful Cianciarulo on his crash that prevented a possible win. “I’m just happy to get out of here on the podium.” concluded Adam.

On his knee injury Adam sad: “I woke up on Sunday morning (after Indianapolis) and I could barely get to my gate in the airport. It was pretty gnarly. It sucked because I couldn’t ride or road bike or anything, I tried to get my heart rate up doing some indoor training. On Thursday I was driving back to my house thinking it was going to be tough this weekend but I popped a few Advil and we were able to get on the box. Typically I wouldn’t be super excited to get on the box, I’m a guy that likes to win, that is always my goal but considering where we were this week I think he can hang our heads high on this one.”

This was a gritty, determined performance. He dealt with the disappointment of his crash, ignored the pain of his knee and found his rhythm and speed to charge back towards the front.

We are seeing a more humble Cianciarulo this season, he knows he needs to let his results and performances do the talking. And Saturday night’s performance spoke volumes for his ability and determination.