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Since breaking his left humerus bone near the shoulder the 35 year old Carl Fogarty has tried to get back to fitness, but has not been successful. After testing at Mugello he had this to say to his legions of fans around the motorcycle world.
\"I felt like one per cent of the guy I was. I\'ve been able to ride around the fields on an off-roader, I\'ve been training and playing tennis and it felt fine. \"But when I got on a race bike - something I\'ve taken for granted for years - I just couldn\'t do it. A good time around Mugello is one minute fifty-five seconds. I thought I\'d be able to do about two minutes but I was nowhere near. That\'s it, it\'s over.
\"I couldn\'t ride naturally. I was struggling in the changes of direction and on the brakes. With my right arm I was trying to make up for the lack of strength in my left. The effort was making me tired and I just couldn\'t ride the way I wanted to. \"Even on the straight\'s when I tried to tuck into an aerodynamic position I couldn\'t, and it\'s difficult for me to keep the bike in a straight line.\"
Ducati will officially announce the news on Friday, it is likely that Foggy will still work for Ducati as am ambassador for some years to come.
Other than that Foggy has not decided what to do. In the past he has said that he was not interested in going into team management
Although earlier in the year he did consider racing cars, then he said, \"I don\'t know what I would do if I quit. It would probably be a relief, to not have to put myself through all that hurt yet again. I have wanted to go car racing for a long time, and think of it as something I\'d at least like to have a go at. \"I think when the time comes I will just want to switch off and relax for a while, and then see what is open to me. This lay-off with injury has almost been a dress rehearsal for when I do retire.\"
As of Friday it will be official.
My two bob\'s worth
: Foggy\'s retirement comes as no real surprise, and the comments in the British press that Neil Hodgson is almost certain to sign on the Castrol Honda team to ride with Colin Edwards would suggest that the Kiwi Aaron Slight may be going to do the same.
