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Caption: Opotiki’s Cody Cooper.
Shock news for Team NZ
by Andy McGechan
New Zealand’s much-vaunted Motocross of Nations team received a sudden, shock set-back late yesterday.
Hawera rider Daryl Hurley has crashed during practice and seriously injured his knee. He has had to be withdrawn from the three-man team headed for the stand-alone Motocross des Nations world teams championship event in France next weekend.
The 29-year-old Suzuki star is undergoing a knee scan, will certainly require extensive surgery and will be out of action for the remainder of the season. This also throws into chaos his New Zealand Motocross Championship campaign and his Australian Supercross Championship title bid – he is leading both series.
Young Honda star Cody Cooper drafted into the squad and plans are in place to get him from his New Plymouth base to Ernee in France. There he will meet up with his two team-mates, Motueka’s Josh Coppins and Taupo’s Ben Townley.
Factory Honda Grand Prix star Coppins (28) and factory KTM hero Townley (20) are ranked No.2 and No.3 respectively at the elite level of the sport, the MX1 world championships.
And, such is the depth of talent in New Zealand, that Hurley’s demise might not be considered a crippling blow but a mere set-back. Team New Zealand remains one of the favoured teams among the 36 nations entered for next weekend’s season-ending event.
Cooper (21), originally from Opotiki, is runaway leader of the New Zealand 125cc class after two of four rounds of the nationals thus far.
Team New Zealand sponsor Russell Burling, the general manager of Ssangyong New Zealand, had immediately offered to buy a bike for Cooper and have it ready to await his arrival but, instead, Coppins’ factory Honda team has come to the party.
CAS Honda will supply a Honda CRF250 for Cooper to use. It is virtually identical to the bike he in races in New Zealand.
The accident forces a re-think to the New Zealand team make-up with Coppins remaining on his Honda CRF250 but Townley stepping back up to the bigger 450cc KTM and handing the small bike duties to Cooper.
“A unanimous decision was reached that Cooper was the ideal rider to replace Hurley,” said Burling. “It just goes to show the depth of talent that we have in New Zealand and I honestly don’t think it alters our status as one of the favourite teams. Just watch this space next weekend and you’ll see what I mean.
“I believe there is every chance in the world that New Zealand can pull off the biggest motocross victory of all. We have a really world class team.”
Meanwhile, Hurley was philosophical about his predicament.
“I will need a total knee rebuild and that’s not good,” he said.
“But that’s one of the risks of motocross. Of course I’m gutted to miss out on representing New Zealand in France but there’s always next year. I think Cody will do us all proud and I wish all of them the best.”
Hurley was a member of the New Zealand team when it finished third in Namur, Belgium, at the 2001 Motocross des Nations event. Townley, Coppins and Hurley suffered mechanical problems in finishing seventh at the event in The Netherlands last season.
