Chris Vermeulen Announces He Won't Participate In Phillip Island

Chris
Vermeulen recently announced on his Twitter account that he will
not be able to ride at Phillip Island due to having major surgery
on his right knee about six months ago, according to Cycle
News.
He decided to withdraw from the World Superbike season-opener
because he believes participating could damage his knee
further.
"We decided as a team that the best thing was not race or test here
at Phillip Island," Vermeulen said. "It is unfortunate because it
is my home round and I have gone through such a long recovery
already. It would have been nice to start off the season fit and
strong but we did not want to risk any further damage to my knee.
Just as importantly, I am not fit enough to compete at the top
level yet so it is better to not ride at the moment."
Vermeulen hurt his knee last year during Philip Island's opening
round by crashing into a tire wall. Then, in July he had an
accident at Brno, which called for a total reconstruction of his
knee. Although he received rehabilitation, he is still not able to
extend his joint fully, thus causing him to drop out of the
competition.