I had neck surgery before the '97 season. I had my C-5, C-6 vertebrae fused. I was the current WR holder and I knew I wasn’t physically strong but I wanted to keep competing and I wanted to set another world record. I ended up winning the tour title but I crashed hard that year. I crashed at 151 mph, which became my top speed, but Philippe Billy set the record before me and I wasn’t able to take the record back that race. The tour wasn’t over, though, and I knew I still had to get the job done.  I was well enough to fly to Sweden for the last race, even though I was beat up and had contusions all over my body.  I raced, and I won that race, and captured my second World Title, but I was no longer the WR holder.