From a press release:

GARRY McCOY OUT FOR JUNE

Red Bull Yamaha rider, Garry McCoy will watch the Italian Grand Prix this weekend from Mondsee Austria, where he is recuperating from an operation he had last week to address the complications he is having with his right leg.

McCoy was operated on in Vienna on Tuesday 21st May immediately following the Le Mans GP where his surgeon Dr. Weinstabl found the cause of the Australians ongoing pain. It was discovered after an MRI scan that Garry had developed bone spurs growing in his ankle. The surprising find was that the spurs were protruding from the bone which he had broken three and a half years ago in August 1998 when he was involved in a crash with fellow Australian Mick Doohan in Brno.

Garry is feeling much better after the surgery and is aiming to be back on the YZR500 by the UK Grand Prix in 5 weeks.

Garry McCoy
“My leg feels a bit better after the operation, in fact quite a bit better. I now have more movement in my ankle both up and down and side to side and I can lift my toes up. I have more movement now than ever before, my muscles in my leg aren’t use to it and I am having physio now to strengthen the area up.

“On Wednesday (one week after the surgery) I walked for the first time without my crutches, I only walked a little bit and it did not feel too bad. I’m training on a stationary cycle already and building up my strength.

“I am happy that the pain has gone at last. The Surgeon said that my leg was a real mess inside, lots of fibrotic tissue in the joints, plus the bone spurs, he said he gave it a good clean out.

“I’m going back home to Andorra next week and I hope to be racing at Donington. I’m really going to concentrate on my recovery and just see how
it goes.

Meanwhile, Frenchman Jean-Michel Bayle, the legendary Motocross Champion and Red Bull Yamaha’s Test Rider for 2002, will continue to ride the YZR500 at Mugello, Italy in place of the injured McCoy.

Peter Clifford, Team Manager
“Jean-Michel tested for us here in Mugello earlier this month in wet conditions and was a great help sorting through tyres and settings. His feedback and experience is tremendously valuable. We are pleased that he will race for us again this weekend and we anticipate that he will be with us for at least the Barcelona GP and the Dutch TT at Assen. JMB will continue to work with our engineers to develop the best possible bike and tyres so that Garry has good equipment when he returns and he is of great support to our “rookie” John Hopkins.”