Dani Pedrosa was thankful for his robust motorcycle clothing after a heavy crash in practice for the Japanese round of the MotoGP championship at the weekend.
Unfortunately for the premier class' in-form rider, a high-speed tumble through the gravel left him with a triple-fracture of the collar bone, which appears to have handed the riders' title to compatriot Jorge Lorenzo.
But thankfully Pedrosa's motorcycle clothing prevented more serious damage to the rider's ankle, after X-rays showed the heavy impact had not broken the joint.
"We X-rayed the ankle as well and it is okay. He had old fractures but nothing new, just a small contusion," said MotoGP medical director Michele Macchiagodena.
However, with Pedrosa out of action and Jorge Lorenzo continuing to score points, the Yamaha rider now needs to finish in a ninth place during the next race to confirm himself as the 2010 MotoGP world champion.
Pedrosa recently signed a new two-year deal with Honda, where he will be joined next season by current Ducati rider Casey Stoner.
Article from PHMotorcycles
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