HAMISH BIDWELL
Right now it probably conjures up images of New Zealand track riders getting into strife in the Commonwealth Games village.
The rest of the time, it's more likely to be the sight of a yellow jersey-clad Lance Armstrong powering up some Pyrenean mountain that's the first thing that springs to mind. But for regular attendees at 0800 Easy LPG Hawks games, it's a somewhat taller and broader rider.
Adrian Majstrovich may not have been urinating on anyone's shoes or wending his way up the Col du Tourmelat lately but, as Hawks fans know, he has been doing his fair share of pedalling. On the spot, as it happens, with a troublesome leg injury meaning he spends as much time riding a court-side exercise bike as he does actually playing.
It's all courtesy of a bad knock he received several months ago which has hampered his movement ever since. The likeable Majstrovich says it's been a frustrating time and while he isn't ready to give up his stationary vehicle, he's finally starting to feel as though he's gotten the better of the injury.
"It happened during the (New Zealand) Breakers' season when I suffered an impact injury to my lower leg," Majstrovich said ahead of tomorrow night's match against the Waikato Pistons in Hamilton.
"I was out for about four or five months, which basically took care of the whole Breakers season. It's not so much a knee injury as a problem with the muscles around the knee which wasted away due to the lay-off.
"Shawn (Dennis), myself and the medical staff have done the best we can to manage it and I'm pleased to say that everything is progressing ahead of schedule. It has been a little bit of a problem in games and, statistically, my points scoring numbers are down, but it's not being able to have the input and do as much work as everyone else at practice that's been the biggest impediment.
"While I'm still not carrying a full workload, we are ready to step it up. We're hoping to go deep into the playoffs this season, so everything is scheduled around ensuring that I'm in tip-top shape for the end of the season."
Now in his fourth season with the Hawks, Majstrovich stops short of saying that this is the Hawks' year - but he is noticing a pattern.
"I think it's fair to say that, within the group, there are high expectations," he said.
"We've achieved a number of milestones in the last few years, like making the semifinals two years ago and obviously last year we made it through to the Grand Final. Now the challenge is to try and go one step further and win the whole thing.
"We're still playing a long way below our potential, but we keep finding ways to grind it out. As the season goes on though, and as we learn to play together, I think you'll really start to see this team producing what it's capable of."
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