Spies put of French MotoGP

Ben Spies' MotoGP return delayed, Michele Pirro steps in as replacement.
Iannone, Grand Prix of the Americas 2013, MotoGP
Iannone, Grand Prix of the Americas 2013, MotoGP
© Gold and Goose

Pramac Ducati's Ben Spies is to miss a ꧒second MotoGP event, havi𓂃ng been ruled out of the forthcoming French MotoGP at Le Mans.

The Texan skipped this past weekend's Spanish round to undergo further rehabilitation on the shoulder he injured last October. Spies had suffered unexpected muscl🍨e problems - related to the injury - in his home Austin event.

The iniꩵtial intention was a Le Mans return, but a subsequent Pramac statement declared that Spies would undergo fuඣrther medical tests before a decision was made.

The outc♑ome of those tests is that Spies' comeback has now been postponed, with Michele Pirro stepping in as a replacement for Le Mans.

Pirro was entered as a wild-card at Jerez, allowing him to race-test Ducati's laboratory bike, but a꧟s a replacement Pirro will take over Spies' 2013 engine allocation.

That means if Pirro uses a new engine🅷 at Le Mans, it will count towards the five engines available for Spies this season. Former Gresini CRT racer Pirro finished eleventh at Jerez.

Rookie Andrea Iannone, the sole Pramac rider at the Spanish round, is to undergo arm pump✤ surgery prior to Le Mans.

Following♈ Le Mans is the Italian Grand Prix at 🃏Mugello, the home event of both Ducati and Pramac, when Spies is now expected to return.

Read More