Moldovan rider Igor Cuharciuc lost his life midway through the first moto of the 2017 EMX85 European Championship at Loket in an incident that the FIM have described as a “very unfortunate racing accident”.

Medical staff from the governing body confirmed that a full and comprehensive resuscitation period was given to the youngster after he had crashed alone on the long step-down jump at the Grand Prix of Czech Republic where the first EMX85 moto was the last race on the Saturday programme. Cuharciuc received attention for forty-five minutes trackside through a team of doctors and paramedics but apparently showed little response from the first phases of assistance that was delivered immediately after the fall.

“The information that we have is that the rider had an accident on the downhill and as a result lost his life at the side of the track; there was no other rider involved, he didn’t hit anyone else and nobody hit him,” commented FIM CMS President Tony Skillington. “It was a simple and very unfortunate racing accident.”

The fatality is the first at a Grand Prix in recent memory and the accident is now in the process of investigation by local authorities. The second EMX85 race was cancelled on Sunday at what was the thirteenth round of nineteen in MXGP but the second outing for the EMX65 class was allowed to proceed. “The thinking was to cancel the race as a mark of respect…there was then a discussion that if we started cancelling the 65s then maybe also the Women’s second moto and on and on,” added Skillington. “We felt as a mark of respect it was best to cancel the 85 race.”

News spread through the Grand Prix paddock on Saturday evening and naturally had a reverberating effect. Many MXGP stars posted dedicatory messages on their personal social network channels.

The incident did bring to light the subject of whether some of the European Championship categories, particularly those at junior level, are suited to the demands of professional Grand Prix circuits. When asked if this type of discussion would enter the agendas of future organisational meetings Mr Skillington remarked: “We are always reviewing the formats of what and where we race, suitability and issues like that.”