On Saturday evening in Paris, France, Romain Febvre had a brutal wreck in the second 450 Sprint of Paris Supercross. A case leading into the finish line triple caused a mid-air ejection followed by a brutal landing for Febvre on the landing ramp. The 2015 MXGP World Champion had to be taken off on a stretcher due to this. A sad ending to what has already been a brutal November for Febvre. This happening on the heels of losing a winner takes all MXGP finale against Jeffery Herlings. The injury, which has now been confirmed by Lewis Phillips of MX Vice.com, is a broken tibia for Febvre.
Here's what the broadcast caught of the Febvre wreck, absolutely brutal. Hopefully it looked worse than it was. #sxparis2021 pic.twitter.com/FzUBvWzPWb
— Jack Gaffney (@JackGaffneyTDT) November 27, 2021
Febvre Injury Timeline
As of the time of writing, the extent of the break/fracture is not known. The best-case scenario for Febvre however would be a simple fracture/break. A recovery timeline in this scenario could last anywhere in the month to two-month range realistically. If it is more complicated or severe, his 2022 title hopes are all but gone. Here is to hoping that isn’t the case and Febvre’s scans come back good, relatively speaking. Keep in mind the 2022 MXGP opener is slated for late February at Matterley Basin, less than 90 days from now.
What further complicates things for Febvre is that Monster Energy Kawasaki is set to change teams for the upcoming season. While not 100 percent set in stone, the IceOne team, owned by F1’s Kimi Räikkönen, is slated to run the Factory Kawasaki team. This is after years of serving as the team for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna. Having to rehab, then get used to working with what is essentially a brand new team with less than usual prep feels like a nightmare scenario.
Next Move for Monster Energy Kawasaki?
As for the IceOne unit losing their only contracted rider, Febvre’s teammate is actually expected to be unveiled relatively soon. A pair of riders come to mind for that spot, but if Febvre ends up missing a chunk of time, both would make sense if IceOne still wants to put out two riders with the No. 3 on the mend.
First up is Ben Watson, who just lost his ride with Monster Yamaha. He finished 11th in the MXGP standings, but his 2021 highlight was a tremendous run at Motocross Des Nations for Great Britain. The 24-year-old led Her Majesty’s MX team, going 3-4 en route to a third-place finish for the Brits. The existing relationship with Monster Energy would make this an obvious choice, plus Watson is no slouch.
Next up is Frenchman Mathys Boisrame. Boisrame actually made a few starts with the 450 Kawasaki squad this year. Forgoing his last few MX2 starts in the process as a result. Surprisingly, the 23-year-old came right out of the gate going 9-9 for sixth overall in his first 450 Grand Prix. That would be his only top 10 result, but a very impressive feat. Boisrame also had been with the F&H Kawasaki team dating back to 2020, which also makes him a likely candidate based on a prior relationship.
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
