Dylan Ferrandis and Monster Energy Kawasaki took the rather unorthodox route of informing everybody about the 21 year old’s unfortunate anterior cruciate ligament injury via Facebook yesterday (Tuesday).
Aside from the crushing news that the Argentine Grand Prix and 2014 Motocross of Nations winner will have to write-off the rest of 2015 was also the fact that the current MX2 title chase lost a little of its spark.
Ferrandis had been going toe-to-toe with Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings; winning when the Dutchman crashed out in Argentina and recovering from a fateful first race DNF to almost take a moto victory in Spain last weekend when Herlings had again hit the floor.
He was the Dutchman’s nearest challenger in terms of speed and confidence and had riled the former champion in Spain.
“I don’t know what goes through that guy’s head sometimes,” Herlings said after the race.
“He cut me up so badly at the start of the second moto. I’ve never done anything to him. Silly things, and I don’t think a World Champion would do that. It is part of racing I guess…and you have to go against some riders that think a bit differently to many others.”
Herlings has previous history with what used to be the CLS team after a memorable title duel with Tommy Searle in 2012 that had its flashpoints on and off the track but eventually led to the 20 year old’s first championship and was part of a maturation period which now sees Herlings as one of Grand Prix’s superstars.
For Ferrandis – who has progressed each season in MX2 and was keen for a move to AMA racing in either 2016 or ’17 (and his two year contract with Kawasaki means that he now could have raced his final MX2 Grand Prix) – this latest injury is another frustration after leg and shoulder problems in the last four seasons.
#4 had been unhappy with his suspension set-up in the sand at Valkenswaard two weeks ago where he took 11th overall after a controversial incident with Pauls Jonass in which he was penalised 10 positions in the second moto.
Dylan Ferrandis battles with Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Europe
He stayed in the vicinity for a three-day test post-race and headed to Spain happier but ran into more trouble at Talavera.
Herlings held a 56 point lead after the dust had settled. Monster Energy Kawasaki will now count on Jordi Tixier (who has taken three podiums in a row) and Thomas Covington for the rest of the year and it is not yet known if they will chase a replacement for Ferrandis. Young EMX250 hopeful David Herbreteau stood in for Tixier in Argentina and could possibly substitute again.
Flashback: 2012 MX2 Fermo in Italy – Tommy Searle vs Jeffrey Herlings ends in yard sale crash (no sound)
