Tasmanian Jed Beaton is still feeling the effects of his pre-season injury, hindering his ability to gain valuable seat aboard his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing FC 250.

The 2016 Australian MX2 champion suffered multiple vertebrae fractures in the lead-up to the season-opener, making his racing return at Matterley Basin’s second round over a week ago despite just limited days on the bike.

Beaton pieced together a 10-15 scorecard at the MXGP of The Netherlands on Sunday for 12th overall, the number 14 admitting fatigue caught him out in the second and final encounter of the weekend.

“I had an okay GP and felt good on my bike,” said Beaton. “In the opening moto my pace was good so I managed to secure a top-10 result. Then in the second moto, I pushed a bit more than I needed to early on and ended up getting a little fatigued. The injury I picked up during the pre-season hasn’t allowed me to spend as much time as I would have liked on a bike.

“Around a tough track like Valkenswaard it is always important to be on top of your game. At the moment I’m taking one step at a time and I’m trying to get better every time I race.”

With two rounds under his belt from three, Beaton sits 13th in the championship standings as the series heads to Trentino in Italy this weekend.