It was supposed to be a special training session to resume the rhythm after months of pause, but Andrea Dovizioso instead of getting on the podium last night found himself in an operating room. The rider from Forlì had snatched permission from Ducati to participate in a race of the Emilia Romagna regional cross championship. It had seemed a sign of relaxation in a negotiation for the renewal of the contract that is going on for a long time, with the ghost of Jorge Lorenzo ready to peep out from his good retirement in Lugano. After much insistence, yes came from Borgo Panigale, albeit with some concern. Races, especially off-road races, are usually prohibited close to the season, but it was decided to make an exception to the rule. Dovi had promised to be careful, a small mistake was enough for what everyone feared would happen. The pilot of the Rossa, in landing from a jump during the first heat on the Monte Coralli track in Faenza, lost control of the rear wheel of her bike and overturned. As he fell, he beat his left shoulder violently and immediately decided to drive to the hospital in Forlì. The tests showed the fracture, not displaced, of the clavicle. A not too serious injury, but with the start of the MotoGp championship in less than three weeks (the first race will be in Jerez on July 19th), he has decided to operate.
«The fracture was fixed with a plate, in order to speed up recovery times. Andrea will be able to race in Spain »said Ducati sports director Paolo Ciabatti. Dovizioso was operated on yesterday evening by Professor Giuseppe Porcellini at the Modena hospital and the rehabilitation process will begin in the next few days.
It will be a race against time to present yourself at the start in shape, hoping that the accident will remain just another episode in the long list of fractures in training. In 2010 it happened to Rossi, who was also operated on the shoulder, Valentino was a repeat offender in 2017, causing a thoracic trauma a few days from the Mugello GP, while a few months ago it was Maverick Viñales to spend a night in the hospital after a bad blow with the motocross. Now it’s up to Dovizioso to quickly leave the accident behind and convince Ducati on the track how much it is worth. Not just metaphorically, because money is the crucial point of the negotiation.
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