Nozane replaces stricken Folger for Japanese MotoGP

TOKYO: Local rider Kohta Nozane will replace Jonas Folger for Sunday’s Japanese MotoGP race at Motegi after the German suffered a mystery energy-sapping illness, the Tech3 Yamaha team said on Thursday.

Folger’s participation in the following two rounds is also uncertain after he was told to return home to Munich immediately for medical checks.“He has a disease but we don’t know exactly what it is,” said team manager Herve Poncharal in a statement.

“If there is anything good about this situation, it is that we now know why he has been so weak since the summer break.“The more he trained, the worse he felt, and the peak of the problem was on Tuesday and Wednesday where he had to stay in bed because he couldn’t even walk.”