Suzuki Europe MX2 were dealt a heavy blow only days before its second home Grand Prix of the FIM Motocross World Championship when Valentin Teillet was diagnosed with another crack in the shoulder blade he fractured at the start of the season.
The 21 year old, who has been creeping closer-and-closer to a first podium result on the factory-backed RM-Z250 will miss the remaining two rounds of the 2011 campaign; this weekend at Gaildorf in Germany - and at Fermo in Italy the following week.
Teillet suffered a slow-speed fall while training last week and tumbled onto the right shoulder that the former European Champion injured at the opening Grand Prix of the year in Bulgaria and consequently had to sit-out six rounds of the MX2 calendar. The Frenchman was initially optimistic of racing at the 'Old School' circuit near Stuttgart but X-Rays and examinations yesterday confirmed the need for an extended recovery period.
"This is obviously bad news for us and Valentin especially who had been finding his feet and speed in the last couple of GPs and we had high-hopes of a special end to the season on two tracks that would have been very good for him," said Team Manager Thomas Ramsbacher. "We have had some unbelievable bad luck this season but we have to live with it and roll on. Now we will use the bike to give some valuable track time to Jeremy Seewer for the Motocross of Nations."
The team will provide Seewer with the works RM-Z250 to gain a feeling for the motorcycle at Gaildorf this weekend before the Swiss rider will represent his country at the Motocross of Nations at St Jean D'Angely on September 18th. Seewer will compete in the final round of six in the European MX2 Championship - a feeder-series to the MX2 Grand Prix elite - before using his RM125 Suzuki to contest the last meeting of six in the European 125cc two-stroke competition at Fermo; a series in which he currently holds fourth position.
MX2 World Championship standings (after 13 of 15 rounds): 1. Ken Roczen (GER, KTM), 590 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 547 p.; 3. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 479 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Yamaha), 425 p.; 5. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), 353 p.; 6. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), 342 p.; 7. Zachary Osborne (USA, Yamaha), 295 p.; 8. Harri Kullas (FIN, Yamaha), 287 p.; 9. Nicolas Aubin (FRA, KTM), 242 p.; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, KTM), 226 p.; 11. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 203 p.; 12. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 193 p.; 13. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 171 p.; 14. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, KTM), 133 p.; 15. Antonio Jose Butron Oliva (ESP, KTM), 128 p.; 16. Valentin Teillet (FRA, Suzuki Europe MX2), 125 p.
