Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Tortelli Injured, Out for Season A ll Team Makita Suzuki's Sebastien Tortelli wanted was to get through the Supercross season so he could concentrate on what he does best: The AMA 250cc National Motocross Championship. And he almost made it. Ironically, the Frenchman hurt himself while testing for the outdoor season last week, and the injury is a serious one to his left wrist. "I dislocated it," Tortelli said in Las Vegas on May 7. ''A full dislocation, no broken bones, but that's the bad part of it. They had to basically go in and pin everything together and do tendon reconstruction, basically ligaments - scaphiod and lunate ligaments. So, that is where the pain came from. The pain went away now from the surgery. I'm a couple of days in now. So I'm settled in, and I'm just on Advils now, so it's nice." Now the healing begins. And the waiting. "It will be three full months before I get on the bike, so I'll see," Tortelli said. ''I'm not going to rush it, because I don't want to compromise my chances for the future. And a wrist injury is very... if you screw them up, then you're done. So I don't want to get to that point. I'm going to take the proper time. Dr. Moscow, who is the doctor of Ivan [Tedesco] - is a wrist specialist. He was happy with about how things went. I'm going to see him next Tuesday and hope for the best." Obviously, Tortelli is bitterly disappointed. "I really felt ready," the Frenchman said. "I went through supercross with no problems. I had a couple of ups and downs with the 450 [four-stroke] - a couple problems. But overall, it was a good season for me. I was happy, I felt great and trained pretty hard for the outdoor season. It's just I was ready for it, definitely ready for it, and I was really expecting to be up there battling with these guys. Not many people were expecting me, but I knew I was going to create some surprises. But I guess I'm going to have to wait and see for next year again." This season will also see Tortelli's current contract with Suzuki run out, making next year even more of a question. ''All of my contracts are up this year, so we'll see," he said. "I don't know where I'll be. Whatever works will be fine with me. I want to go out there and... I have something to prove. It can't happen to me every year like that. I ask the question why it happened to me, but there is no reason. I've been doing everything the best that 1 can do. I can't do better than what I am doing. It's just the way life is right now. I'm going to move on. I'm happy, my family is doing great, and I'm super happy. So I'm going to stick on that side and get back on the bike when I'm allowed to." Brendan Lutes ATV Racing for Great Outdoor Games After successfully introducing both Freestyle Motocross and Supermoto to the ESPN X Games, MXi is now moving to four wheels with the addition of ATV racing to the ESPN Great Outdoor Games, July 7lOin Orlando, Florida, according to MXi. The Great Outdoor Games will be premiering two ATV disciplines this summer: ATV MX-style racing and the new Utilityclass race known as Terracross. "This is a great opportunity for a growing sport to showcase itself," said MXi's Tes Sewell, sport organizer for the Games. ''ATVs represent a huge percentage of the moto market's sales, and the manufacturers have been showing more and more support over the past few years." Assisting the MXi crew in the position of race director is multi-time racing ATV Champion Donny Banks. Banks, who runs one of the most successful races on the National Calendar, said, '" am excited to be involved with ESPN and The Great 12 Outdoor Games, Disney, the ATV events and factory involvement. What a boost for the Games and ATVs in general." The ATV MX Race will be comprised of two heats, a last-chance qualifier and a final round. A field of 24 Pro riders will be invited to compete in this landmark event. Riders will be invited by a committee of seven ATV industry insiders, and the field is expected to include top riders from MX, cross country, TT and even freestyle disciplines. "This is the best of the best racing on a track designed to test all skills," Sewell said. Based on a course concept developed by MXi and Banks to cover all forms of ATV racing, motocross legend Mark Barnett will be the man responsible for building the Great Outdoor Games course. The course will be built on the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The Terracross competition will take part on a custom-built track within the Disney complex. The event will feature eight invited riders racing over an obstacle course on stock, utility ATVs. During the race, riders must dismount from their ATVs and use compound bows to shoot at targets. Failure to hit a target will result in a time penalty for the rider. Both disciplines of ATV racing will be featured on the ESPN telecast of the Games, beginning July 13. ATV racing will also be highlighted in the ABC telecast on July 16. MAY 18, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS MV To World Superbike? A decision on the immediate and ultimate future of MV Agusta's participation in The sWinza.r::m will most Iike!y be_ a twin-sided swingarm, and for reasons of World Superbike is expected by the end consistency the new MVs may all have of July. Two prototypes are currently double swingarms. In addition, Magneti being built in San Marino at the Cagiva research Center by Massimo Tamburini likely that multi-time World Champion and former MV chief mechanic Ezio Masceroni. of the team, and the first choice of rider Marelli is testing a new EFI system. It is Giacomo Agostini will be the figurehead The engines reportedly have more for the new project is Troy Bayliss. than 200 horsepower. (In Superstock trim, the MV runs 180.) The problem Another private MV team, with Virginio with the current spec of engine is its high structure, but he will still have a direct state of tune, so therefore there is little power at low and medium revs. line to Ferrari as the owner, will have a different MY. Gordon Ritchie

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