Double world champion Toseland retires from motorcycling with immediate effect

By Sportsmail Reporter Updated:

James Toseland has been forced to retire from racing after failing to recover from a wrist injury.

The two-time World Superbike Champion suffered the injury during a crash at Spain in March.

End of an era: Toseland has been forced to retire with immediate effect

End of an era: Toseland has been forced to retire with immediate effect

Doncaster-born Toseland had attempted to race on with the injury but suffered another crash in Germany on his last World Superbikes race, forcing him to accept his time was up.

The 31-year-old, who came fourth in the 2007 BBC Sports' Personality of the Year vote, said: 'I've tried everything possible but the sad truth is that none of it has worked.

Tough times: Toseland endured a difficult period in MotoGP

Tough times: Toseland endured a difficult period in MotoGP

'My wrist will never fully heal enough for me to operate the throttle properly and navigate right hand turns.'

Toseland won the 2004 WSB title with Ducati and the 2007 title on a Ten Kate Honda.

Champion: The Briton won the world Superbike championship on two occasions

Champion: The Briton won the World Superbike Championship on two occasions

He left the series to pursue a career in MotoGP in 2008 but endured two disappointing seasons with Yamaha before returning to his old stomping ground in 2010.

'Having struggled through a couple of races and then crashing out in the terrible conditions at Nurburgring in Germany, I went back to see the consultant, Mike Hayton, this week and the diagnosis was the worst I could have prepared myself for,' Toseland said.

'The easiest way to explain it is that I don't have enough range of movement in my wrist to race professionally and no amount of physiotherapy is going to improve that. This all led to the verdict was that it's no longer safe for me to continue a career in motorcycle racing.

'I have to put the safety of the other riders on track first, as well as thinking about my own safety. Knowing that I will never again be fully fit to race at the highest level, it's also unfair for me to occupy a great seat in WSBK that a young, talented rider who is fully fit could take better advantage of.'


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