Trey Canard and Ryan Villopoto do battle at Anaheim II. Image: Simon Cudby.

Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard admits that he was just happy to leave Anaheim II in one piece last weekend, a year on from his season-ending back injury suffered in Los Angeles.

Last year during round three of Monster Energy Supercross, Canard was seriously injured in a fall at Dodger Stadium, however the race in 2013 was rescheduled back to Angel Stadium.

Canard trailed defending champion Ryan Villopoto to second at A2 on Saturday night, the popular Honda rider using Villopoto as a benchmark once he made his way to the front.

“I looked at the tower and I saw number one into second and I knew he’d been on fire all day, so I was just thinking ride your own race, ride your own race,” Canard reflected. “If he gets around you don’t fight him too hard, try to follow him and learn.

“And that’s what I did. I tried to trail him for a little bit. And I think I did a decent job. I think he just slowly inched and inched and inched. Which I was happy with, I was content with.

“Hopefully that maturity continues because I think years past I might have tried to hang it out and ride over my head and try to go for that win. But I was just thankful for the night. Especially looking back for me.

“I know a lot of people don’t look at tonight but I look at tonight as a tragic night, this weekend [Canard broke his back a year ago this weekend]. So it was on my mind, on my heart all week and it was kind of a nerve-racking thing. So I was happy to leave here with a second.”

Canard now sits second in the championship following three of 17 rounds.