Malfunctioning brake causes motocross rider Tom Koch to suffer a crash during a promotional event
Tom Koch, the motorsportsman from Wormstedt, faced an unfortunate setback at the Grand Prix of Sweden in Uddevalla. Despite a familiar track from previous races and good lap times, Koch had to withdraw from the event due to multiple crashes that resulted in a hand injury.
The first crash occurred during the qualifying race on a slightly redesigned hard-packed track on the Swedish west coast. The redesign made the track even narrower, and overtaking became more challenging. The crash was caused by contact with another rider who hit Koch's rear wheel and pressed the brake, resulting in a chain reaction that led to Koch losing control. He went over a guardrail, through a large advertising banner, and fell two meters headfirst.
Koch instinctively tried to catch himself with his right hand during the crash, causing an injury. An X-ray after the crash showed that he did not have any broken bones, but he decided to take the week to recover his hand to be fit for the next weekend in Arnhem.
Despite the setback, Koch aimed to improve his points tally in the Grand Prix of Sweden. However, the crash forced him to restart from the back of the field, and he didn't manage to complete a clean fast lap in qualifying, finishing 25th. Consequently, he didn't start the second race due to his hand injury.
The crash was initially believed to be due to poor track conditions, but further investigation revealed a defective rear brake as the actual cause. Koch will now focus on recovering from his injuries and preparing for the next race in Arnhem.
