FIM MXGP World Champion Jeffrey Herlings is confirmed to miss this weekend’s Grand Prix of Patagonia Argentina at Neuquen and the first round of the 2019 series.
The Red Bull KTM rider is still recovering from complex surgery on his right foot due to a training accident in Spain in January.
Herlings is set for a check-up on March 11 to change from a full cast to a lighter support and to evaluate the healing process.
The 24-year-old Dutchman won the opening event of the 2018 FIM World Championship season in Argentina in spectacular fashion, but that obviously won’t happen this time around and perhaps it will be his team-mate, Italian multi-time MXGP world champion Antonio Cairoli, who can claim the main prize this weekend.
The Patagonia win for Herlings last year was the first of 17 victories from 19 appearances in what was one of the most dominant and impressive title campaigns in the modern era of the sport.
“I cannot really feel too much with my foot because of the cast but it seems to be progressing well after the operation and I’m looking forward to having some of the pins removed in a couple of weeks when I can also change the cast,” said Herlings.
“It’s a pity to miss Argentina. I think last year was one of the best races of the season. It’s also one of my favourite tracks: wide, fast and sandy. It’s a big shame that we won’t be there but it is what it is.”
Belgian motocross legend Joel Smets, the KTM Motocross Sport Director said: “Jeffrey’s injury is not as ‘simple’ as a collarbone or another part of the body. It’s quite tricky actually and it is something that we will have to monitor and look at the rehabilitation.
“Obviously a rider’s foot comes under a lot of punishment in motocross with the many jumps and bumps. So we are being careful and will hopefully have a better idea in the coming weeks of how his recovery is going. Of course we will miss him in Argentina but the rest of the crew with Tony (Cairoli), Jorge (Prado) and Tom (Vialle) means Red Bull KTM will still be ready to go for the kind of results Jeffrey would be shooting for.”
Photo courtesy KTM Europe
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