Motorcyclist Lorenzo injured in crash in China
SHANGHAI (AFP) — Spanish rookie sensation Jorge Lorenzo was injured Friday when he crashed heavily during a practice session at the China Moto Grand Prix in Shanghai.
Lorenzo, riding a Fiat Yamaha, was taken to hospital after initial x-rays at the track showed he may have fractured a bone in his ankle, almost certainly ending his bid for victory in China.
"He hit both ankles quite hard so he has quite a lot of pain in both of them, but the bad one is the right one," a spokeswoman for Fiat Yamaha said.
"There may be a very small fracture in the right foot," she said.
Lorenzo, who turns 21 on Sunday, lost control of his 800cc machine in the chicane portion of the track and was thrown violently to the tarmac before sliding to a stop.
Lorenzo, who leads the championship series with Spanish rival Dani Pedrosa with 61 points, underwent surgery on a muscle in his right forearm just two weeks ago.
Although the Mallorca native was not 100 percent fit after the operation, he had said that he was in good shape and expected to ride in the fourth race of the 2008 season.
Lorenzo is so far having a brilliant debut in Moto GP with three pole positions and three podiums in as many races, including his maiden victory last month at the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril.
