The IDM season opener in Oschersleben is in three days, but Superbike rider Mathieu Gines will not be competing, as things stand. The Frenchman crashed on Sunday during the 24-hour race of the Endurance World Championship at Le Mans, scraping his right pinky finger. The tendon was torn in the crash. Gines underwent surgery on Monday and must now keep his finger completely still for ten days. His absence is a major blow to the Weber Motos Team from Switzerland. Gines is considered one of the title favorites on the Kawasaki ZX-10R.
“We tested for five days in Spain and France leading up to the IDM. Everything looked great. We’ve been jumping back and forth over the last three weeks to make sure everything is perfectly prepared,” says team manager Emil Weber. “But this time, we just had some bad luck.”
Despite the misfortune, the team is fully behind Gines. Is there an alternative for the IDM season opener from April 27 to 29 at the Motorsport Arena? Weber: “There are a few riders who could step in, but we’re not yet sure whether we’ll take that step or not.”