Matti's new Proto

Matti Lehikoinen has been getting used to his new Intense M6. The newest version of the frame that we have seen has a slightly bent downtube. The new tube is a pretty attractive addition to an already good looking race bike. Still unsure as to the benefit of the bent tube, we will see what Intense has to say. Stronger? Lighter? Both?

More pics here. Has that rear shock been "Pushed"?

Matti breaks back

Yesterday, while filming in Helsinki Matti Lehikoinen suffered a terrible crash breaking 3 of his vertebrae. He still has all the feeling in his outer extremties. His prognosis is very positive and they expect him to make a full recovery, obviously quite a bit of time off the bike will be needed. His injury was sustained just a few days after the last World Cup race where he left the Honda team and signed with a new team for 2008. It has also been confirmed that he will be taking Kovariks place at MS-Intense.

"I spoke to Matti for 10 minutes this morning. He's in a lot of pain, but he is remaining completely positive. He told me that he went to go off a very small drop off, about a meter high, on his home trails when something caught his rear wheel just as his front wheel left the drop off. The bike pitched suddenly forward and threw him over the handlebars onto his back. He knew immediately that he had suffered a severe injury, and remained still as his mate called for the ambulance. Right now all we can do is wait for more information from the medical experts, and support Matti, and his family who have been very shocked by this news," - Martin Whiteley.