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Argentina loses MotoGP race

updated 5:10 PM EST, Fri November 23, 2012
Dani Pedrosa won't be appearing in Argentina next year after the race at Termas de Rio Hondo was canceled.
Dani Pedrosa won't be appearing in Argentina next year after the race at Termas de Rio Hondo was canceled.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Next year's Argentine Grand Prix canceled
  • Row between Oil firm Repsol, Spanish and Argentine governments put pay to race
  • Travel warning by Spanish government withdrawn too late
  • MotoGP should return to Termas de Rio Hondo in 2014

(CNN) -- MotoGP will not visit Argentina until 2014 after next year's race was scrapped following a row between Spanish oil firm Repsol and the Spanish and Argentine governments.

The race, which had been supposed to be held in the second round of the season, had been in doubt following a travel warning by the Spanish government.

The directive warned against drivers or teams sponsored by Repsol making the trip and although this was withdrawn on November 20, the timing meant that the race had to be canceled.

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Dorna Sports, commercial rights holder of the MotoGP™ World Championship, said in a statement: "The Gran Premio de la República Argentina, which was set to take place at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit early next year, has not been included in the 2013 calendar.

"On June 20th 2012, the Spanish government recommended that teams and riders sponsored by Repsol should not travel to the República Argentina due to safety reasons. Therefore, the celebration of the 2013 Gran Premio de la República Argentina remained under suspension until such recommendation would be kept in force.

"The deadline for Dorna Sports, commercial rights holder of the MotoGP™ World Championship, to officially propose the 2013 MotoGP™ Calendar to FIM was November 18th.

"On November 20th, the Spanish government notified through email sent to Dorna Sports the withdrawal of the above-referred recommendation, when the time for the Calendar presentation had already expired and therefore, there was no possibility to include a new MotoGP™ event.

"Anyhow, Dorna Sports commits itself to include Gran Premio de la República Argentina on the 2014 Calendar and onwards, to be approved by FIM subject to the homologation of the track, which presumably shall take place within the first quarter of 2013.

"Dorna Sports recognizes the Gran Premio de la República Argentina Promoter´s efforts regarding the satisfactorily termination of the construction works and the organization and promotion preliminary activities."

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