Jorge Lorenzo took pole position for Sunday’s US Grand Prix, but ended the qualifying session with a spectacular spill on which he flipped over his handlebars and landed hard on the track.
Lorenzo, who took his fourth pole of the year with a fastest lap of one minute, 21.678 seconds, separated his right shoulder and bruised his right foot in the crash.
The Spaniard, who is in second place in the MotoGp championship standings, landed on his shoulder on the track and then slid headfirst about 30 metres in the sand. He was taken off the track by ambulance and said he was not sure if he would be able to ride on Sunday. AFP
But his time held up. Valentino Rossi, the defending race and series champion, moved up to second on the grid with a time of 1:21.845. Stoner, the 2007 series champ, slid to third at 1:21.910.
“I was trying to push, but first I had some traffic and then the tires were cold and I wasn’t in the right shape to try to improve my time,” Lorenzo said.
“I’m disappointed for these two crashes but I am OK and I am optimistic that I will be able to ride tomorrow.” San Jose Mercury News
Pos Rider Team 1 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 2 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 3 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 5 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 6 Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 7 Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 8 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 9 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 10 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 11 Marco Melandri Hayate Racing Team 12 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 13 Sete Gibernau Grupo Francisco Hernando 14 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 15 James Toseland Tech 3 Yamaha 16 Niccolo Canepa Pramac Racing 17 Gabor Talmacsi Scot Racing Team MotoGP
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