Honda HRC are down to three riders at the MXGP of Portugal, as five-time world champion and current red-plate holder Tim Gajser will not make the trip to Agueda. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the rider and all the medical personnel helping the Slovenian since leaving Switzerland, the injury hasn’t improved enough to cope with the rigours of world motocross racing.
Words | Press release
After a tough Monday of racing in Switzerland – which followed an excellent Saturday where Ruben Fernandez and Gajser went one-two in qualification – there were question marks surrounding the status of the Gajser, after a nasty crash involving a solid man-made mound of dirt that was meant to be marking the track boundary but was instead inside the markers.
And after some excellent treatment once he left the on-site facility, the Slovenian was hoping that he would be fit enough to attempt to battle the demands of MXGP motocross and continue his fight for title number six. Sitting 27 points clear of second place, the #243 knew he would have his work cut out to ready to make the start-line, but an intense week of physiotherapy saw his condition reach a level where there was optimism that he would be able to jump on a plane for round seven.
Instead, he, along with his qualified medical team decided that sitting it out was the necessary call and now there will be further tests to determine the best course of action. It is a massive disappointment for Gajser as before the crash, he was 49 points ahead of his rivals, having won three of the first six rounds, and been on the podium for all of them.
«Obviously, everyone knows that I dislocated my shoulder in Switzerland, but despite the best care possible since leaving the track, I will be unable to line-up for the MXGP of Portugal. I tried my hardest with all the physiotherapy and we did everything we could to be ready for this weekend, but it just hasn’t worked out. There was hope earlier in the week, as things were going well, but this is an injury you can’t force or rush to be better than it is. Of course, I am extremely disappointed to be missing any racing and now we will see what we can do in the coming days to figure out our next move. I’d like to say a big thanks for all the messages of support I have received from all my fans, and I hope to see you at the races soon.»
Now running solo in the MXGP class is Fernandez, who always looks forward to racing in Agueda, as it is a local track for him, where he is cheered on by lots of fans from the region. The Spaniard doesn’t live too far from this Portuguese track and raced there a lot when growing up and loves the loose nature of the soil and the exciting layout that always delivers top racing. The #70 is also highly motivated to get himself onto the podium after some unfortunate results which has seen his speed not get rightfully rewarded with points. He won the qualification race in Switzerland but wants to turn that into similar results on Sunday, so he can stand on the podium and payback all the fans and team members who support him.
«I have to say that I was pretty frustrated and annoyed when I left Switzerland. I felt the DQ was harsh and the procedure that is in place afterwards, isn’t correct and leaves a rider in a dangerous situation. Still, I am hoping to channel that and focus on reaching the podium in Portugal – a reward, I feel my riding level deserves. I really like the track and I love visiting the area as I have a lot of friends and fans there, so this is a weekend I always look forward to, and I can’t wait to get there and go racing.«
