Ericsson 3 watch captain Richard Mason ready to return

12:09 PM Thu 2 Apr 2009 GMT

'Richard Mason' Ericsson Racing Team &copy

Ericsson 3 watch captain Richard Mason has declared himself available for selection after recovering from a back injury.

The New Zealander suffered a prolapsed disc in his back on the fourth stage, an injury that saw him miss out on the team's stunning win into Rio de Janeiro.

It was deemed necessary for him to undergo surgery, but Mason has elected to postpone that option until after the race.

'I have been working pretty hard with the team doctors and physiotherapists for the last six weeks,' he said. 'The prognosis is looking pretty good so I'll sit and talk to Magnus (Olsson, the skipper) over the next few days to see if I can get back out there.

'I have to because I've been kicked out of home for being a pain, spending too much time on the internet looking at these guys.

'I will have to probably have surgery over the summer. It wasn't an option now because then there was no chance of getting back. Instead I've had a lot of good physio, getting needles stuck in my back. I looked like a human porcupine.'

The 34-year-old admitted he was 'pretty jealous' of the team's success in his absence, but revelled in the crew's ability to upset the odds.

'Unbelievable,' he said. 'You couldn't have written a better script. If you had told someone in Alicante that we'd do that, they'd probably be on the floor laughing. Magnus has just been incredible. Back in Taiwan there was never any question that we were going to get back in the race.'

He believes Olsson was responsible for giving Aksel Magdahl the confidence to make the leg-winning move.

'Look at the guys Magnus has pushed up on this stage over the years,' he added. 'Paul Cayard, Mark Rudiger. He sees brilliance in all these guys and gives them a chance. This is a great team and I'm sure they can get more great results.'

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Ericsson 3 watch captain Richard Mason ready to return

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