Sylvain Guintoli to make MotoGP return in France with Suzuki

ByReuters

Updated 04/05/2017 at 11:10 GMT

PARIS, May 4 (Reuters) - Former Superbike world champion Sylvain Guintoli will make a MotoGP comeback at his home French Grand Prix this month as replacement for injured Suzuki rider Alex Rins, the team said on Thursday.

Sylvain Guintoli of France

Image credit: Getty Images

The race at Le Mans is on May 21 and Suzuki said the experienced 34-year-old would stand in until Spanish rookie Rins could return.

Rins broke his right ankle while training on a motocross bike in March and was then ruled out of last month's Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas after crashing heavily in final practice and fracturing his left wrist.

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The Japanese manufacturer said Guintoli, whose last full season in MotoGP was with Ducati in 2008 although he made a one-off return in Germany in 2011, was a natural choice.

"Not only he has been Superbike World Champion in 2014, but he also already has experience in MotoGP, and he is already a Suzuki rider," the team said in a statement.

Guintoli is currently competing in the British Superbike Championship, which does not clash with MotoGP. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

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