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Fast MotoGP News: Camier Replaces Hayden at Indy and Brno, Ducati to Field 6 Bikes in 2015

Drive M7 Aspar’s Nicky Hayden will not be on the starting grid in the next two MotoGP rounds, the Indianapolis and Brno ones. After his right wrist operation last Wednesday at the Oasis Center of San Diego, the doctors recommended long period of rest to allow his hand to heal fully. He will be replaced by World Superbike rider Leon Camier.
Nicky Hayden will miss at Indianapolis and Brno rounds 3 photos
Photo: motogp.com
Nicky HaydenLeon Camier
Hayden had been troubled by a 3-year-old injury, when he broke the scaphoid bone in his right wrist, but the healing did not go as well as it should. Hayden has been riding in great discomfort for some months now, and another operation he had in June helped him ride through the end of the season’s first half, but the doctors said that further surgery would be needed to fix things properly.

A fitness plan has been devised for Hayden to help him keep in shape all this time, so he is expected to be at 100% upon his return on the Aspar machine. "Although undergoing surgery is not usually a positive thing -not least because you lose a lot of time- I'm happy with how the operation went last week.

Sometimes it is difficult, but we know that injuries are part of our sport and we must learn to manage them. Everyone knows that my wrist has been causing me problems, especially at recent races. I underwent an operation in June, which helped me to complete the first half of the season, but the truth is I've been riding with a lot of discomfort, and have been unable to perform at my best. So, together with the team, we decided to make an important decision and undergo a larger operation to treat an injury that comes from three years ago -when I broke my scaphoid and did not heal well,” Hayden adds.

Ducati has confirmed a 3-rider factory team, including Cal Crutchlow, Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone. Even more, three more bikes will also be present on the 2015 grid, with Yonny Hernandez riding the Pramac Ducati machine and Avintia Racing fielding the 2014 Pramac bikes, but loaded with Marelli software.

Good news for Iannone, as he will have his own box, factory Ducati livery, Ducati mechanics and all, with his team under direct supervision from Davide Tardozzi, Paolo Ciabatti and mastermind Gigi Dall’Igna. His bike will be identical to those of Dovi and Crutchlow – the GP15 Desmosedici the Ducati Corse boss Dall’Igna has already started working on.

Iannone’s manager Carlo Pernat says that the 2015 Ducati will be closing in the gap to Honda and Yamaha, and level things out with Honda and Yamaha in 2015, but until we don’t see at least one of the three factory riders all over the rear wheels of Rossi or Marquez in the Valencia test, we’d rather be reserved.
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