VILLOPOTO OUT | Bikesportnz

The United States team for the upcoming Motocross of Nations will not now feature AMA supercross champion and outdoor motocross series leader Ryan Villopoto.

The Kawasaki ace will instead have remedial surgery at the completion of the AMA motocross championships, which he currently leads from fellow top Motocross of Nations team selection candidate Ryan Dungey.

The surgery is to repair a lingering problem with his ankle.

“It is always a tough decision to go in and have surgery,” said Villopoto.

“But, just like my Monster Energy Kawasaki team works hard to give me the best bike possible, I have to make sure I’m at my best as well. The hardest part of this decision is the timing. I was really looking forward to racing the Motocross of Nations again this year, but I won’t be fully prepared in time for MXoN and I don’t want to give less than 100% to Team USA.

“The MXoN is always a highlight of the season and it is an event that has helped to define my career.”

Villopoto has been part of a winning team on every occasion that he has raced the MXoN, including his first one in 2006, when Team New Zealand also finished on the podium, and BikesportNZ.com was there to see it all happen.

BikesportNZ.com was also there are in 2007, when Villopoto was the event kingpin, racing the MX2 class for team USA and winning both the MX2/Open race and the MX2/MX1 race as well, one of the best individual performances in the history of the MXoN.

That was he was also Kawasaki team-mate in America to New Zealand’s Ben Townley and the pair went handlebar-to-handlebar in their battle for 250cc MX class glory. Unfortunately, the MXoN that year was also when Townley crashed heavily, sustaining an injury that sidelined him for virtually all of 2008.

Following his recovery from the upcoming remedial ankle surgery, Villopoto will begin preparing for the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross season and the Monster Energy Cup in October.

Although the AMA hasn’t officially announced a U.S. team yet, Villopoto was, of course, expected to be a part of it, likely to be teamed with Dungey and Colorado’s Eli Tomac, current leader of the 250cc class in the United States.

The smart money for a rider to replace Villopoto in the national team line-up is Honda’s Justin Barcia.

Barcia is currently third overall, behind Villopoto and Dungey in the 450cc class in the nationals after 10 of 12 rounds.