Ben Spies to miss French MotoGP
Pramac Ducati's Ben Spies is to miss a second MotoGP event, having 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 muscle problems - related to the injury - in his home Austin event.
The initial intention was a Le Mans return, but a subsequent Pramac statement declared that Spies would undergo further medical tests before a decision was made.
The outcome 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 as 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.
