Lorenzo in Cast for Ten Days

The Fiat Yamaha rider high-sided five turns into his first lap on the Laguna Seca circuit, breaking his third, fourth and fifth metatarsal bones, the longest bones in the foot.

It is one more crash, one more injury and its another moment that I have to forget as soon as possible, says Lorenzo, who sits fourth in the championship standings despite his numerous injuries.

The 21-year-old Spaniard began the 2008 season with four podium finishes in his first five races while starting from the pole position in the first three. Lorenzo underwent surgery to relieve arm pump shortly after recording his first MotoGP win, April 13 at the Portugese Grand Prix. Dr. Xavier Mir of the Dexus Institute in Barcelona performed the surgery, which is a common procedure for racers whose arms are constantly under heavy stress when racing. Unfortunately for Lorenzo, that wouldnt be the last time he visited Dr. Mirs office this season.

Two weeks after arm pump surgery, Lorenzo injured both ankles in a highside crash during practice for the Chinese Grand Prix, May 4 in Shanghai, China. Despite a fracture in his right ankle and a torn ligament in his left, Lorenzo raced to fourth place finish in Shanghai.

The two-time 250cc Grand Prix champion rebounded with a second place finish May 18 in the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, but crashed in the June 1 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, Italy. Lorenzo was not injured in that crash, unfortunately he couldnt say the same about the Catalan Grand Prix the following week.

During the practice session June 6 at the Catalunya circuit in his native Spain, Lorenzo crashed, suffering a concussion and abrasions to his right ring and pinkie fingers. The concussion forced Lorenzo to miss the Catalan Grand Prix and he received skin grafts on his injured fingers.

After sitting out the Catalan race, Lorenzo recorded a pair of sixth-place finishes in England and the Netherlands before crashing on the fourth turn in the July 13 German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.

Lorenzo escaped injury in Germany before heading to Monterey, Calif. for the USGP where he crashed yet again. Dr. Mir examined Lorenzos latest injury and recommended that Lorenzo wear a cast for ten days.

I am pretty hurt and upset, because once again a crash has halted my progression, says Lorenzo. I have visited Dr. Mir and he confirmed that it is a painful injury but one that can be cured through rest. I have a cast on my left foot, but I can barely walk because of some pain in the right foot suffered in the crash.

The MotoGP season entered its mid-season break following the USGP, giving Lorenzo nearly a month to recover from his injuries before the season resumes Aug. 17 for the Czech Republic Grand Prix on the Masaryk Circuit in Brno, Czech Republic.

I need to look forward, says Lorenzo. I am so sad but now I must concentrate on the fact that I have a whole month before Brno in order to be fit and to be able to race in good shape. This is my aim.

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