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Toseland retires, effective immeadiately

Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
[size="-1"]Toseland has decided to retire from racing with immediate effect.[/size]

[size="-1"]Toseland posted this 'letter to my fans' on his web site:[/size]

[size="-1"]I wanted to write you a personal letter to explain the factors that have forced my early retirement and to take the oportunity to thank you for all of the amazing support that you have given me throughout my career.[/size]

[size="-1"]As you all know, I've had a tough time since injuring my right wrist during a testing crash at Aragon in Spain earlier this year. At the time of first seeing my Consultant, he warned that the damage to my wrist could be career-threatening, but we both committed to doing everything we could to ensure that I could continue racing.[/size]

[size="-1"]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.[/size]

[size="-1"]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.[/size]

[size="-1"]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.[/size]

[size="-1"]Obviously, the decision has been a difficult one and it's been really hard to take the advice of my Consultant and admit defeat on this occasion but I really have no other option left at this stage. I've tried everything possible for the last few months but the sad truth is that none of it has worked and my wrist will never fully heal enough for me to operate the throttle properly and navigate right hand turns.[/size]

[size="-1"]You have been amazing in the best and worst times of my career and it's been almost like having a second family to support me through my career. So, thank you for everything and I hope that I have done you proud.[/size]
 
Good luck JT & Thanks for the signed jacket back in 07 at the CJNINE Event
 
Real shame for the sport - as Suzi Perry suggests "media calls", he's got the face for it at least... http://whoneedsfourwheels.blogspot.com/2011/09/safety-first-james-toseland-retires.html



Up until recently he's been pretty optimistic about his chances for a full recovery - made it quite a shock when I read the headlines this morning. Certainly a tough decision, but if he knows in his own mind he'll never be able to race at 100% then really it's the only safe/sensible option.
 
Shame to hear of JT's decision but he was never gonna get another really competitive ride in the future no matter how his wrist recovered. WSBK world champ wasn't a bad achievement really was it. I wish him the best for the future
 
Can't say I'll miss him hugely, but it's still a shame. He was a strong contender when in the right frame of mind.



As a Vermulen fan, I worry that his perennial knee injury will do the same for his career.
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name='Willski' timestamp='1315604168' post='293428']

Shame to hear of JT's decision but he was never gonna get another really competitive ride in the future no matter how his wrist recovered. WSBK world champ wasn't a bad achievement really was it. I wish him the best for the future

[/quote

Nope, World Champion in any sport is a great achievement, I dont care if it tddly winks. Doing it twice is special. He is in a very small fraternity and should be proud.

Never was one of my favorites, but that doesnt take away from his accomplishments.
 
JT was easily one of my favorite riders. He wasnt a darling and favorite son of the series organizers, even his own employers, and i felt that way about his own countrymen. Perhaps thats why i liked him so much, becuz in a way he reminds me of Nicky Hayden. And despite being overlooked, he achieved greatness. Hes a much better rider than hes given credit for too. He certainly should hav stayed another year or two at Tech3, but i guess they preferred Edwards' sound bites. JT beat his French teammate and did it on inferior equipment, and then beat Ducati in their own cup on a Honda.



I wish Toesland all the best, and must again say, at least one American fan with an eye for talent and a keener eye for ........ racing politics appreciated the man. He was a fantastic talent, and more importantly, an intelligent decent honest humble human being. No wonder he wasnt a good fit in GP.



Just look at this thread on a bonafided "racing" forum. A two time world champ retires and other than those who's opinions i highly respect above showed up (notsurprisingly) there is barley a blip. I dont get it.
 
JT was easily one of my favorite riders. He wasnt a darling and favorite son of the series organizers, even his own employers, and i felt that way about his own countrymen. Perhaps thats why i liked him so much, becuz in a way he reminds me of Nicky Hayden. And despite being overlooked, he achieved greatness. Hes a much better rider than hes given credit for too. He certainly should hav stayed another year or two at Tech3, but i guess they preferred Edwards' sound bites. JT beat his French teammate and did it on inferior equipment, and then beat Ducati in their own cup on a Honda.



I wish Toesland all the best, and must again say, at least one American fan with an eye for talent and a keener eye for ........ racing politics appreciated the man. He was a fantastic talent, and more importantly, an intelligent decent honest humble human being. No wonder he wasnt a good fit in GP.



Just look at this thread on a bonafided "racing" forum. A two time world champ retires and other than those who's opinions i highly respect above showed up (notsurprisingly) there is barley a blip. I dont get it.

Because it seems most fans are drama queens who love "soap opera racing". Tos was never that headline grabbing because its the soap .... that grabs the headlines.
 
The news of JT's retirement got me thinking. He is twice a world superbike champion, was amongst the best riders in the world and had an excellent first season in motogp (his best position remains better than Cal's). These are all excellent, irreversible achievements, and it's amazing how one poor season in motogp has done so much to undo that work, both in his recent performance and the fans perception. It really goes to show what a cruel sport this is, and all i can do is admire JT for trading all his WSBK stock in for a shot at GP, he gave it a damn good go.



Above all else though JT is a decent, down to earth guy and has been an excellent ambassador for the sport in this country, i he will continue to be so even after the end of his competitve career. Good lad
 
The news of JT's retirement got me thinking. He is twice a world superbike champion, was amongst the best riders in the world and had an excellent first season in motogp (his best position remains better than Cal's). These are all excellent, irreversible achievements, and it's amazing how one poor season in motogp has done so much to undo that work, both in his recent performance and the fans perception. It really goes to show what a cruel sport this is, and all i can do is admire JT for trading all his WSBK stock in for a shot at GP, he gave it a damn good go.



Above all else though JT is a decent, down to earth guy and has been an excellent ambassador for the sport in this country, i he will continue to be so even after the end of his competitve career. Good lad

They say you're only as good as your last race. Look at the flack Rossi is getting, especially in Italy i believe. Past achievments a distant blur.
 
Sad news really, always liked Toseland, seems a straight up kinda guy, can't argue with 2 world titles as achievements. Like Edwards, Corser, Bayliss et al the jump from WSBK success to GP success is a bridge too far for mortals!



Pete
 
Enjoyed watching him in WSBK, and I thought he would do well in MotoGP. I'm sure he'll show up in the commentator role soon enough.
 
all best to JT, great great rider and easy guy , too bad motogp held him back more than anything else....



i was fearing something like this, he crashed right in front of me and it already looked like he landed nasty..



who knows,maybe he'll return in another racing series, or better, replace one of the monkeys doing bbc commentary
 
Above all else though JT is a decent, down to earth guy and has been an excellent ambassador for the sport in this country, i he will continue to be so even after the end of his competitve career. Good lad

^ this.



I wish him all the best with whatever he does next.
 
I was always a JT fan. Being a musician and having endured a childhood that most people would never come close to in terms of setbacks and suffering.



He was and is a true and worthy champion and rider.
 
I was always a JT fan. Being a musician and having endured a childhood that most people would never come close to in terms of setbacks and suffering.



He was and is a true and worthy champion and rider.



Andy, I'm interested in knowing what happened?
 

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