'Serious' infection sets back Smets' surgery.

Team Suzuki's Joel Smets remains in intensive care in Belgium while he recovers from a serious bacterial infection, which struck shortly after the GP of Great Britain two weeks ago.

The five-time world motocross champion contracted the mystery infection in his pelvis shortly after the Isle of Wight event, and it then spread into his blood, causing a high fever and could have proven potentially dangerous had it not been checked in time. Due to the risk of damage to his internal organs, the 35-year old Belgian was transferred from hospital at Herentals to the University Hospital in Leuven last week, and his condition is now described as 'serious but stable'.

According to doctors, Smets is expected to be back on his feet later this week, but the disease will require a long recovery period. Specialists claim that his prospects are positive, but the knee surgery that had been planned for this month will now have to be delayed until Smets' condition improves.

The Suzuki rider was due to undergo reconstructive surgery on his injured knee on Friday, and would have missed the remainder of the 2004 season in order to be 100 per cent fit for pre-2005 testing in September and October. This deadline is now unlikely to be met as the time required for recovery from the infection is uncertain.