By now you would all have seen vision of Maxime Berger’s little mishap at Donington last weekend.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3YbLczO2nk[/youtube]
Never a good look when your rear wheel ends up in front of you, but even worse when it’s not actually attached to the bike. I was in hospital with a guy whose mechanic had failed to tighten the back wheel nuts on his Guzzi and the wheel came off, dumped Hippo on his bum on the road and cost him a broken arm and a written-off bike.
But this accident was a little different because the whole wheel didn’t come off. if you look at the vision closely, you’ll see that only the rim, with the tyre attached, came adrift from the bike. In fact, the spokes of the wheel simply fractured and the bike was returned to the pits with the remains of the wheel still firmly attached.
Quite what this is going to do to the worldwide sales of Marchesini wheels is anyone’s guess, but this is plainly a case of metal fatigue and the team has obviously not monitored closely enough for how many hours this wheel has been used. Of course, road-going bikes don’t use these special lightweight magnesium articles so “normal” riders have nothing about which to worry.
Still on racing, it seems that Dan Pedrosa’s alarming shoulder problem that plagued him at Qatar is more serious than was first thought, and the shoulder may require additional surgery. What is even more alarming is the revelation today that, following on his Motegi crash (when this injury was incurred), there was, according to his doctors, the very real chance that his arm could have been permanently paralysed.
Quoting from gpone…
“MotoGP continues to become more about physiotherapists than riders. While the current problems for Randy De Puniet and Loris Capirossi may be on their way to resolution, there is as much talk about Rossi’s shoulder as ever, and now the clavicle, or rather solar plexus, of Dani Pedrosa.
As has been well documented by now, the Spanish rider conceded second place to Jorge Lorenzo at Qatar, due to a loss of strength in his left hand. A problem related to complications from his Motegi 2010 crash.
“From a medical point of view -, Dr. Xavier Mir, of the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona, told motocuatro – Dani is in a healing phase, but it’s something that needs time.”
“The problem is centered around his solar plexus – the doctor continued – Dani is suffering from a strain, and that is causing him to lose strength and sensibility. Pedrosa will continue with physiotherapy this week, but the possibility of another surgery on his clavicle has not been excluded. This would happen after Jerez, in such a way that he could recuperate for the Portuguese Grand Prix.”
Dr. Mir also revealed that Dani Pedrosa “risked paralysing his left arm during the Japanese GP incident.”
Now come back and tell me MotoGp riders aren’t brave!