Paul Jeffrey
Premium
Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi has reportedly broken his leg in a sizable Motocross accident in Italy, potentially signalling the end of the Italian hero's top line career.
Rossi, 38, currently sits in fourth place in the MotoGP standings riding his works Yamaha YZR-M1 -recently fighting for the victory at Silverstone before eventually dropping off the leading pack and finishing in third position last weekend.
Although reports from the event remain confused, it appears as though the Italian rider has sustained a serious injury to his and fibula of the leg he previous broke in 2010, almost certainly putting him out for a good portion of the current season and ending any chance of taking a record tenth World Championship.
Speaking to media, Rossi’s father Graziano told ANSA: “Valentino is not optimistic. They fear there is a fracture. To do the radiograph they had to cut the boot, and Valentino told me he feels very bad.”
Further news on the condition of the rider is expected to be released in the coming days, however a recent statement from his Movistar Yamaha team has confirmed the rider has suffered from an injury, with further official word on his condition has yet to be revealed:
“Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team rider Valentino Rossi was involved in an enduro accident, during a training activity close to his hometown, on Thursday, August 31st.
“The 38-year-old Italian rider was taken to the 'Ospedale Civile di Urbino' for a check-up. A further medical bulletin will be issued in due course.”
Who will replace Rossi for the remainder of the season, and what the accident means to the future career of the firm fan favourite remains open to speculation at this time. At 38 years of age Rossi is undoubtedly towards the end of a spectacular career, and with an injury as potentially serious as a major leg break could very possibly spell the end of the road for one of bike racing and motorsports greatest sportsmen of all time.“The 38-year-old Italian rider was taken to the 'Ospedale Civile di Urbino' for a check-up. A further medical bulletin will be issued in due course.”
I appreciate we don't normally cover bike racing news here at RD, but I suspect this news about a rider of the talent and popularity of Rossi would be of interest to enough of our readers to be worth writing up a short article news piece. My apologies if this isn't something you are interested in reading, it is very much a one off
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Do you think a leg break for Rossi could mean the end of his top level professional career? Can the Italian recover in time to fight for the title again next season? Let us know in the comments section below!
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