Soler out of action

Mauricio Soler (Barloworld) is prevented from racing by a knee injury. He has returned to his native Colombia. The knee problem is a consequence of a crash in the GP degli Etruschi on February 9. Soler was forced to change his race programme, after consulting with team manager Claudio Corti. Soler left for Colombia yesterday and will return to Europe in the beginning of March, on the eve of the Volta ao Distrito de Santarém (March 13-16). Before leaving Soler underwent a scan on his knee that showed a slight injury to the cartilage on his kneecap, with surrounding bruising.

Solar will continue to undergo treatment while in Colombia, with the aim of getting back in training in just a few days. "It's an unexpected problem, but one which we hope to resolve quickly," Barloworld team manager Claudio Corti said. "It would have been a mistake to take any risks to try and accelerate his return to racing. His trip to Colombia is related to Soler's problems in obtaining a visa for his time in Europe. As a consequence we decided that his trip to Colombia was the best choice."