Bathams Honda’s Tommy Bridewell was not entirely sure at the beginning of the MCE British Superbike race weekend that he would be able to complete both of the Superbike races yesterday, but the rider who is still recovering from a nasty leg injury, managed to push himself through the pain barrier to finish both races in the top five.

Bridewell is still far from one hundred percent fit but at one point during the races was in contention for a possible podium finish. Then the pain started to kick in and he was overtaken by Buildbase BMW’s Jon Kirkham, in both outings. The Devizes rider is now paying the price for pushing so hard over the weekend, and it is not just his leg which is hurting now.

“I am not feeling very good, my whole body is aching and it has taken its toll this weekend. The problem you have is obviously when you have an injury you compensate for other parts of your body, and this weekend I compensated my left leg with my shoulders,” said Bridewell, speaking to bikesportnews.com.

“If I was somewhere like Silverstone, it would have been a lot easier for me. But considering how much I did feel I was struggling physically during the races, we had the pace for the first five or six laps. But the pain was too much, as soon as the tyres started sliding that was when I started dropping off the pace. Soon as the tyres went my physical fitness was not quite strong enough to do the full eighteen laps.

“Two fifth places, in not the ideal condition for me is not too bad really. We have got five weeks before Knockhill and I will be ready and physically one hundred percent, and maybe Knockhill will suit us a bit more too.”