Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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IN THE WIND P28 ROSSI SUFFERS BROKEN LEG V alentino Rossi has defied critics who thought his lat- est double fracture might be a break too far for the 38-year-old veteran, promising fans he will be back on his bike "as soon as possible" after surgery pinned his right leg back together again. Rossi suffered a double displaced fracture to both lower bones in his right leg while train- ing on an enduro bike with a group of his young proteges at the VR46 Training Ranch close to his hometown of Tavullia. The accident happened late on Thursday afternoon, August 31. Rossi was transferred to a hospital in nearby Urbino, then taken to the university hospital in the coastal city of Ancona. There the director of the Or- thopaedics and Traumatology performed surgery—inserting a "locked intramedullary nail." There were no complications. In a statement released this afternoon, Rossi sounded up- beat. "The surgery went well," he said. "This morning, when I woke up, I felt already good. I would like to thank the staff of the Ospedali Riuniti in Ancona, and in particular Doctor Pas- carella who operated on me. "I'm very sorry for the inci- dent. Now I want to be back on my bike as soon as possi- ble. I will do my best to make it happen!" This is the sec- ond time Rossi has broken his lower right leg: the first fracture was in 2010, in prac- tice for the Italian GP at Mugello, with only the tibia broken. It was promptly pinned; Valentino underwent radical therapy, including treatment in a hyperbaric chamber, to get back on his bike within six weeks, missing only three more races. Should he achieve the same six-week turnaround this time, he would miss just two races, Misano and Aragon, and would be back just in time for the first free practice at the Japanese GP, first of three grueling con- secutive flyaways, followed over the next two weeks by Australia and Malaysia. At 38, however, this seems an ambitious target. In his 22-year career, Rossi has been remarkably free from injury, and most of them have happened while dirt-bike train- ing. At the start of 2010, after the first round at Qatar, he sustained a shoulder injury while riding motocross. This spelled trouble for the rest of the year, and required surgery to repair it in the end. Earlier this year, a fall from his motocross bike after landing in soft sand from a jump left him a dubious starter for the first of two home-country outings, the Italian GP at Mugello. Nothing was broken, but a painful midriff impact with his handlebar saw him admitted to hospital over- night. He was ruled fit to race, however, and finished fourth. This second crash before another home outing is likely to hit ticket sales for the San Marino GP, although Ducati and Dovizioso leading the champion- ship will help make up for it. Rossi is currently fourth in the championship standings. Michael Scott Valentino Rossi says he'll be back after breaking his leg while training on a dirt bike. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE