Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden will miss this weekend’s Czech Grand Prix due to a foot injury sustained during a Supermoto event at the X Games in Los Angeles on August 1st. The 2006 MotoGP World Champion injured his right foot when he landed heavily from a jump. Following the incident Hayden visited eminent orthopaedic surgeon Dr Arthur Ting and sought the opinion of other specialists who finally advised (yesterday afternoon, US time) that he should rest the injury to avoid further complications and return at the San Marino GP at the end of the month. The damage is to the calcaneus, or heel area, of the foot.
In very changeable weather conditions, the KTM Super Duke Battle roared on to the MotoGP stage in fine style this past weekend. Qualifying took place on a dry track with the front rows being fiercely contested. Flying Finn Pauli Pekkanen set an unbeatable time on his second last lap, eight tenths of a second quicker than anyone else. Ed Smith bounced back from his disappointing showing at Snetterton and claimed second place. Kelvin Reilly and Dave Heal completed the front row.
After the thrills and spills of the opening race in Jerez, the Kawasaki Racing Team arrive in the blistering heat of the Middle East this week for the first of three consecutive overseas races, starting with the Grand Prix of Qatar on Saturday 8th April. Last years race at the Losail International circuit saw temperatures rise to over 40 degrees on race day. This year the MotoGP riders won't face the same extremes of heat, as the date of the race has been moved from October to April, when temperatures are predicted to be ten degrees cooler.