Rossi Breaks Shin, May Miss Over 6 Weeks

The reigning MotoGP Champion, Rossi fractured his right shin bone after a highside crash June 5 during practice before the Italian Grand Prix. The crash occurred at turn 13 ahead of a chicane. According to MotoGP.com, the tire temperature for Rossis Fiat Yamaha M1 was cited as a likely factor behind the crash.

Rossi was carried off the track on a stretcher to the Clinica Mobile for examination before being flown to the Careggi Hospital in Florence. Rossi underwent a two and a half hour operation for the exposed fracture to his tibia. Doctors re-aligned the broken bone and inserted a pin to stabilize it.

Valentino is recovering well following yesterday's operation and his morale seems to be high in the circumstances, says Dr. Robert Buzzi who performed the operation. (Monday) we will wash and stitch the wound. He has been moved to a more normal room in the hospital and the only requests he has made are for peace and quiet, privacy and a television on which to watch todays race.

The second procedure reportedly went according to plan, with 15 stitches required to close the wound. Buzzi told MotoGP.com Rossi may be on crutches for six weeks.

Rossis team manager Davide Brivio says Fiat Yamaha will wait the next two races as allowed under MotoGP regulations before entering a replacement. That would mean Jorge Lorenzo will be the lone Fiat Yamaha entry for the British Grand Prix and the TT Assen before a replacement rider will race for the July 4 round in Catalunya, Spain.

The Mugello race was the first Rossi has missed since his 125cc Grand Prix debut in 1996, ending a string of 230 consecutive starts.

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