VOL. 50 ISSUE 26 JULY 2, 2013
ER HEROES
Valentino Rossi ends win-less drought;
Jorge Lorenzo is Superman in Assen
P49
Briefly...
The question of safety of injured
riders racing in a pack received a
resoundingly robust answer from
the front-row qualifiers at Assen.
Asked what medical tests they
would like to see Jorge Lorenzo
pass before sharing the grid with
him, all three were happy to leave
the decision to the rider. Especially since it was Jorge Lorenzo.
Tests? "I don't care," said pole
first-timer Cal Crutchlow. "If he
comes back and races, he's my
hero." Crutchlow had done something similar at Silverstone in 2011,
he said: breaking his ankle then
battling doctors to prove he was
fit – he went from the back of the
grid to sixth. The track doctors had
put him through grueling physical
tests. "To be honest, riding the bike
is easier than doing push-ups."
Companions Marc Marquez and
Stefan Bradl expressed surprise at
the notion Lorenzo might race, but
were happy to trust the medical staff
and his experience. Bradl added:
"As a racer you can understand: he
is fighting for the championship and
he can get some points." Dani Pedrosa said: "He is very brave, but he
is the only one who knows. Every injury is different; every situation is different. When I broke my collarbone
I came back after many weeks to
Mugello, and I couldn't really make
the braking."
who rose to their feet almost as
one when their hero's Yamaha
swept across the line to win by
two seconds, after leading from
the sixth of 26 laps.
"For me this is one of the most
special victories, that I wanted
and expected," Rossi said. "To
win at Assen is something special, because it is one of the most
fascinating tracks."
Joy unconfined.
Lorenzo's rapid return was monitored step by step in line with MotoGP's medical practice, according
to the race director, but the final decision rested with the circuit's chief
medical officer. Passed for morning
warm-up (he placed eighth), Lorencontinued on next page
