Over before it even got a chance to begin, is the only way of describing David Fretigne’s withdrawal from the 2012 Dakar Rally.
Being only days away from the beginning of this year’s event, Fretigne and his Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain were faced with making the difficult of not allowing David to contest the 34th edition of the event. Still struggling to overcome injuries sustained at the Rally dos Sertoes last August, Fretigne is unfortunately not fully ready to withstand the rigors and physical challenges riders face during the toughest race in the world.
Injury forces Fretigne out of this year's Dakar Rally
Having shown excellent signs of recovery from his vertebrae injury, Fretigne was allowed to train fully for the Dakar and was hopeful of becoming fit and competitive for the race. Unfortunately his final medical exams showed that his injury had not made enough progress to risk starting the Dakar and it’s therefore with regret that he must withdraw from the race immediately.
David Frétigné: “I am very sad that I can finally not start, after all the good hopes and the hard work to come back. I wish my team all the best at the race, and will be with them with my thoughts. I will continue to work hard on my physical condition, it was just a little bit too early to risk a start, but I will be back soon in full strength.”
Spaniard Jose Manuel Pellicer will replace Fretigne on the Husqvarna Rallye Team by Speedbrain