NGM Forward Racing has decided to replace recovering Colin Edwards with former MotoGP and WSBK rider Chris Vermeulen in next week’s French GP race at Le Mans.

The Australian dropped out of MotoGP at the end of 2009 when his contract with Rizla Suzuki was not renewed and moved to World Superbikes with Kawasaki, but in the opening round at Phillip Island badly injured his knee which needed extensive reconstruction surgery and he had to pull out of the championship in July 2010. In 2011 after a long period of rehabilitation he suffered another set of injuries which sidelined him again and this season wasn’t picked up.

Vermeulen is considered a wet weather specialist and in 2007 he won his only MotoGP race in a very wet Le Mans.
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“First of all I would like to wish Colin a speedy recovery. I am grateful to have the opportunity to race back in MotoGP with the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team,” said Chris Vermeulen. “I am looking forward to my first time on the bike being at Le Mans, a circuit that holds great memories for me including a victory in 2007. I am excited to be racing at the top level of motorcycling again and look forward to working with the team.”

“Several members of the team have previously worked with Chris and I believe that he will imediately find a good feeling with the team,” said Forward Racing’s managing director Marco Curioni. “Vermeulen is an expert rider in MotoGP with experience working with the electronics and the correct use of the tyres, which are two areas in which we are currently working. Chris has previsouly won at Le Mans and knows the track well. I would like to wish Chris good luck and send all my best wishes for a quick recovery to Colin, who is on his way back home.”

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Here is a nice collection of images taken at the latest MotoGP race in Portugal, showing some of the best moments of the weekend ‘away from the track’: once again, you get loads of pics from the grid, from the pits, from the podium, a whole bunch of close-ups and so forth. It surely makes for a nice watch, but we just want you to know that we saved the best for last: a set of pics featuring some of the hottest ladies spotted on and off the track is also waiting in the wings, so keep an eye on this space.

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You’re Italy’s most famous motorcycle racer (after Giacomo Agostini) and you wake up around noon and before you drink your first coffee of the day, you turn on your phone only to find out that the entire world is spinning Britain’s Daily Telegraph story that you are retiring at end of the season, and maybe even before.

Naturally Valentino Rossi denied the story first via Twitter, but Radio DJ (the guys who towed Rossi’s M1 with a 1963 Fiat Cinquecento from New York to Indianapolis in a promo event back in 2009) called him up while he was having lunch (he was eating cuttlefish with peas) and had a brief chat with him (podcast link here) and the Italian was in good spirits laughing away the story saying that it isn’t true and that it was invented and that he doesn’t who the journalist’s sources are.

The Ducati rider also said that every year someone has him retiring and towards summer someone reports that he is going to become a father and someone always says he’s going to Ferrari. He was asked about his post race Qatar interview and admitted it was to shake up Ducati and make them move.

Ducati is expected to bring in a new spec engine for the Silverstone GP if Rossi and Hayden are happy with it following their upcoming private test at Mugello later this month and a complete package upgrade for Laguna Seca (July 29th).

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To quote Colin Edwards in his own words he is ‘one hard motherf***er ‘ with a very high threshold for pain, something he’s already proved it last year at Silverstone.

The NGM Forward rider underwent collarbone surgery yesterday in Barcelona at the Insitituto Universitario Dexeus and following a two hour operation where Dr. Xavier Mir inserted a plate and ten screws and a mess of staples on his collarbone which he broke in five pieces and he says he feels ‘great.’

“Doctor Mir and his team have done a great job,” said Edwards. “They were the ones that took care of me the last time. The surgery was really quick. I’m feeling great, still a little dizzy from the anesthesia but feeling all right. They put a block on the side of my neck so its feeling a little numb. I’m here watching TV and tweeting. Just want to let everyone know I’m ok!”

Dr. Mir (the surgen for almost all the Spanish riders) said, “The bone was broken in 5 pieces and required the insertion of a titanium plate with ten screws.The surgery performed was successful and he will be able to begin rehabilitation/physical therapy within a week. He will remain in the Instituto Universitario Dexeus in Barcelona for now.”

Since this surgery was Edward’s fourth on his collarbone, his recovery is estimated to take longer and he may not be able to return to action at the upcoming Le Mans GP.

Photo source | texastornad5@twitter.com

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Here is a huge photo gallery of some of the most exciting moment from the last MotoGP race in Estoril. The Portugal GP saw yet another impressive display from reigning champion Casey Stoner, who led the race from the green light to the chequered flag imposing an unbelievable pace that left little or no hope to his chasers, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa. Check the whole lot out.

View the full MotoGP 2012 - Estoril photo gallery

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It took very little time for Sportmediaset.com who is very close to Valentino Rossi, to shoot down The Telegraph’s article regarding Rossi’s retirement, calling it a ‘balla colossale’ (a big lie).

The Italian website immediately contacted members of Rossi’s entourage who naturally denied the entire story and laughed off the entire thing confirming that the MotoGP rider still wants to make his Ducati work.

So after last week’s retirement rumors on Casey Stoner, this week it’s Rossi’s turn and next week we’ll probably hear something regarding some other rider, silly season is certainly taking off with a bang.

Rossi has yet to personally comment the story on his Twitter account, but you can bet it’ll will be very soon, probably when he gets up and turns on his phone.

Updated:

Rumor denied by the man himself: @TobyMoody @MOTOCI_Maroto ciao guys, the rumors about my retirement at the end of the year are not true!see you in Le Mans. but don’t expect that this already over and done with, the La Mans pre-race interviews will include more of the same.

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Shane Byrne just took his first race win in the third British Superbike race at Oulton Park today and in two weeks time will find himself aboard an ART/CRT machine temporarily replacing James Ellison in the upcoming MotoGP race at Le Mans, according to several British websites.

Apparently team owner Paul Bird wants a second opinion on the severe chatter issues that Ellison has been struggling with.

The two-time British Superbike champion has already raced in MotoGP, but it was back in 2004 and 2005 with Aprilia (9 starts), Team Roberts on a KTM and then replaced Troy Bayliss for two races in Team Pons.

Source | bikesportnews.com

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Due to the atrocious weather at Estoril the programmed MotoGP post race test that was to take place today has been cancelled.

Following this decision, Ducati has decided to programme a three-day test at Mugello with both factory riders, Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden that will take place after the Le Mans GP (May 18-20), from May 22-24 and another two before July.

Ducati had planned to have Hayden and Rossi test different parts, including a smoother engine and then have them switch at Mugello to have a better feedback, but now everything will be carried out at Mugello and the developments will probably be implemented at Silverstone and another at Laguna Seca following engine rotation.

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According to Spanish website Motocuatro.com Colin Edwards will miss the upcoming French MotoGP race at Le Mans (May 18-20).

Edwards sustained a right collarbone fracture during qualifying at Estoril when he was accidently wiped out by Randy de Puniet’s sliding ART machine. The American is currently at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcellona waiting to undergo surgery later this evening, however after taking a look at his scans his Spanish physicians have recommended that he spend two or three weeks resting after his operation as he’s already suffered numerous injuries in that area. Whether the American heeds his doctors orders or cuts short his recovery period will be another matter, as the French circuit is historically one of his best.

The NGM Forward rider was present in his garage yesterday and watched all three races at Estoril from the sidelines and he tweeted, “One more question: (pain meds induced) Are all motoGP races as boring as that one today? Moto2 & 3 kicked ass!!!”

Our answer is yes and we couldn’t agree more.

Photo source | twitter.com@texastornardo5

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We’ve got another batch of rider quotes following today’s third race of the MotoGP season at the Autodromo Fernando Pires da Silva at Estoril.

Andrea Dovizioso - 4th

“I am very satisfied with my performance in today’s race and particularly with the pace I could run because I was very fast and consistent throughout. It is a good way to end the weekend because a few small problems on Friday and Saturday meant we could not work as much as we would have liked to improve the bike. I am happy because the target this weekend was to reduce the gap to the fastest and we managed to achieve that. But the fact I could keep the speed for 28-laps that I was not able to find in practice is a very positive point. It is a good fourth place but there’s no doubt starting from third on the grid hampered me at the beginning of the race because I couldn ‘t even try to stay with the leading group. Maybe it would have been closer or maybe we could have even been with Pedrosa, but we will never know. Now I am looking forward to racing in Le Mans because it is the home race of the Tech 3 Team and it is also a raced sponsored by Monster Energy, so everybody has a lot of motivation to do well.”

Cal Crutchlow - 5th

“I’m pretty happy with fifth place but I would like to have been a bit closer to the top three like I was in Jerez. Fair play to Andrea because he rode a great race once he passed me early on and it didn’t matter how much pressure I put on him, he never cracked. I certainly couldn’t have done anything else to try and pass him but it is another top five finish and I am still fourth in the points. I had a couple of issues, which didn’t help me. I knew rear grip was going to be an issue in the race and that’s how it turned out. I’m not really sure why so we will have to have a close look at the data to understand this. Stopping the bike was also a bit of a problem and it felt like I was having to push a lot harder than the four in front of me to run the times. But it was a good race with Andrea and we have carried on the momentum from the first two races and now we can look forward to Le Mans. That’s a massive weekend for Monster and Tech 3 Yamaha, so I’ll be determined to be back fighting for the podium again.”

Continue reading: More rider quotes from MotoGP Estoril

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