VOL. 50 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 20, 2013
and Tomac, an MXoN rookie, will
compete in the 250 class.
The new AMA 450 Motocross Champion Ryan Villopoto
was certainly a candidate for
the team, but Villopoto will have
surgery on his foot to remove
bone spurs. Villopoto is having the surgery shortly after the
end of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro
Motocross Championship that
concludes this weekend at Lake
Elsinore so he can be healed up
and ready to go for the Monster
Energy Cup in November and,
of course, the beginning of the
2014 Supercross Series.
This will be Dungey's fifth trip
to the 'Nations.
"I'm excited and obviously it's
an honor," said Dungey. "Last
year was a little rough, but this
year will be better. We'll work
together [as a team] and push
each other, and if we can do that
I think we'll win back the title this
year."
Barcia, who is returning for
the second time, said: "Last
year I learned a lot and the experience will be huge for me
this year. I also have a lot more
experience riding a 450 now,
and that will be to my advantage
"I guess I should have known that… or someone should
have told me," he said.
This is the latest in a series of often left-field problems for the one-time GP winner, who ended a dire
second factory Yamaha season early last year, (having
already announced his intention to quit), in a race crash
in Malaysia that separated his shoulder, among other
injuries. Reconstructive surgery was always predicted
to require a long recovery time, but Spies defied predictions to return on the Ignite Ducati with the new factory
B-team. At only the second race, however, complications saw him withdraw for further treatment, making a
short-lived attempt to return at Mugello for round five.
"If anybody can know what it's like to ride when you
just can't hold on… it's horrible. We ended up doing
more damage and set us way too far back. We needed
to follow the doctor's advice," he said, adding it was a
common failing with athletes to try to come back too
soon.
Other misfortunes at Yamaha last year were a broken
chassis at Qatar, rear suspension collapse at Laguna
Seca, and an engine blow-up after leading at Indianapolis.
Michael Scott
P25
because last year I didn't have
much experience on that bike."
Tomac said he is thrilled to be
on the team.
"The Motocross of Nations
is one of the most prestigious
things to do in our sport and
any rider in the USA would be
proud to represent their country," Tomac said. "I'm super excited to go there, and I'm going
to give it my best. Since it's my
first time, I think I will have a lot
of pressure to do well, but…I'll
give it my all. I feel like I'm riding
my best and that I can do well for
the team."
YAMAHA GOING
SEAMLESS?
Y
amaha's MotoGP factory riders were
impressed with tests of the new seamless gearbox – but they will have to wait before they can use it in anger, after teething
problems emerged at the Brno test in the
run up to the Indianapolis GP.
A spy video showed Rossi apparently
unable to select a gear after running off,
and a mechanic coming to help recover
the bike. Asked directly if it has been the
new gearbox, he laughed knowingly, and
responded (to general hilarity); "No, no,
no. It's just that I was tired and I don't have
enough power for to come back in the pit."
He was positive about the benefits. "The
feeling was very, very good. We like a lot."
But he added, "It's still not ready; I don't
know when it is possible to use it. I hope
as soon as possible."
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