Husqvarna Motorcycles MXGP rider Tyla Rattray has been sidelined from Grand Prix action again!
Crashing on the first lap of the second moto in Maggiora, Italy, Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing team rider Rattray, who has been working hard to return to full fitness following a pre-season finger injury, was forced to retire. Scans on Monday revealed the damage to his right thumb, leading to immediate surgery.
Husqvarna Motorcycles said in their press release that they wish Tyla all the very best for a speedy recovery and we all echo that here at DBR Towers.
Rattray was injured before the first 2014 MXGP in Qatar which prevented him from taking part in the GP. The South African had surgery to stabilise the fracture in his finger, but he then missed the next two GPs (Thailand and Brazil).
On his latest injury Tyla Rattray said: “I’m hugely disappointed with what’s happened. Getting injured again is really frustrating for the team, Husqvarna and myself.
“We’ve been working so hard to get back up to speed following our bad start to the year. It sucks to be knocked back to square one again. When I crashed in race two I knew I hurt my thumb but I also knocked myself about and thought I would be okay. But after visiting my doctor on Monday I was immediately brought into surgery to reattach the ligament to my right thumb.
“I’m now looking at a four week recovery before I can start to ride again.”
Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager, Antti Pyrhönen commented for the team: “Unfortunately injuries are apart of our sport but I think we’ve suffered our fair share of them this year. It’s been a tough year for Tyla but we know he can come back strong and achieve top five results like he did at the MXGP of Great Britain. At the moment the priority is for him to recover properly and then hopefully start to ride again in four weeks.”
For the third time this season the factory Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna team find themselves in a position of considering a search for a substitute pilot. But this time they could find themselves with no rider for the premier class of the World Motocross Championship.
Todd Waters is already out with a long-term injury following a training accident back in April and with Rattray’s second injury this term the factory team are likely to be without a top class rider for a number of weeks.
