Reigning FIM MXGP World Champion Tony Cairoli will not race another Grand Prix in Europe this season after confirming that his left elbow fracture has healed well, but not in time to contemplate entering the Dutch round at Assen next weekend.
The Sicilian received news on the eve of the 15th GP at Mantova – a race that he did not attend after having check-ups near his base in Belgium – that his injury will not require surgery and he plans to start riding his Red Bull KTM 450SX-F in the coming days.
Cairoli will then have almost two weeks to get up to speed for the Grand Prix of Mexico at Leon and has told his inner circle that he is “99%” certain to compete in the season-closing fixture at Glen Helen seven days later for the Monster Energy U.S. Grand Prix. This means he will represent Italy at Ernee for the Motocross of Nations the weekend after the trip to California.
Red Bull KTM are preparing to ship bikes and crates both to Leon and San Bernardino for Cairoli who will miss out on the chance of a seventh consecutive championship in the premier class due to the injury sustained in a fall during the qualification at his home Grand Prix at Maggiora in June.
The factory team have been decimated by problems for Ken De Dycker (shoulder) and Tommy Searle (ribs) and have lent their resources and material to Hitachi Construction Machinery Revo KTM’s Shaun Simpson with the Scot standing a decent chance of a top four position in the MXGP standings. The Belgian GP winner is currently sixth and just sixty points away from Cairoli.
