Sayonara, Abe!

Sadly, Norick Abe has passed away at the age of 32.

The three-time Moto GP race winner was killed when his scooter struck a truck in front of him which was doing an illegal U-turn on a highway.

Abe was probably the most easily recognisable rider of Moto GP. While bike riders give us an impression of being "outlawed" and "wild", Abe was the only rider who let his long hair flying out of his helmet untucked.

And he was unusually tall for a bike rider (and for a Japanese as well). You just couldn't help noticing him on the track.

Although he hasn't raced in Moto GP since the end of 2004, he remains active in the Japanese motorcycling scene, and is regarded as one of the best riders Japan has ever produced.

With the decline of Makoto Tamada and the constant underperformance of Shinya Nakano, the death of Abe, I fear, may be the final blow for Japanese riders in Moto GP.

Daijiro Kato was hailed as Japan's greatest hope when he won the 250cc World Championship in 2001. In 2002, he was promoted to Moto GP and promptly won the pole at the Pacific Grand Prix. Sadly, he was killed in the first race of 2003 at his home circuit in Suzuka.

With two of its best riders having passed away in a span of five years, Japan is now faced with the same predicament that Great Britain had some 30 years ago.

In a five-year span, Great Britain lost three of its most promising Formula One drivers in Roger Williamson, Tony Brise and Tom Pryce. It would take more than 10 years for another British driver, Nigel Mansell, to emerge as a constant front-runner.

RIP, Abe.