OT: MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo's nasty fall...
 

MotoGP 2008, China, Jorge Lorenzo's nasty fall in friday practice:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1209748200.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDZETubIe7k (this one works for now)

I just read that on the MotoGP.com website but they didn't have a video clip.

His crew chief said he went into the turn with too much confidence. From the video it looks like his rear tire gave out from under him. I guess that's what happens (rear skips out) when a pro goes into a corner too hot? Too bad he got injured. I wanted to see him and Rossi duke it out at 100%.

Thanks for sharing.

clips on youtube already
nasty looking

highside = ouch, I am sure he will blame it on his traction control

he got some serious air - looked alot worse than his injuries suggest, basically face planted from what 10 - 12 ' ? and moving at a rate of knots! YIKES!!:eek:

Yeah, none of the commentary or aticles mentioned the face plant.
I was surprised to see it in the clip. Just brutal.
Even Rossi looked shocked.

He is riding though, none the less... looks like he is participating in the race with some severe pain!

>>>After his huge crash on Friday morning, which resulted in a chipped bone in his left ankle and swelling and bruising on his right ankle, Jorge Lorenzo was back on his Yamaha M1 800cc prototype in Saturday´s third MotoGP free practice session of the weekend, lapping 21 times at Shanghai and concluding the run 14th on the timesheet.

The remarkable Fiat Yamaha rookie, who leads the World Championship after three races in the premier class, was a second slower than his pace setting team-mate Valentino Rossi, but made an important step in getting through the session - allowing his team to play catch-up on setting up for tomorrow´s race and proving his ability to ride despite his injuries.

Lorenzo stayed mounted on his bike throughout the practice, even during breaks in his pit-box, and his team manager Daniele Romagnoli told motogp.com, `The session was quite difficult because he has a lot of pain in both ankles, especially on the right side. At the beginning we were working to change the set-up and the gear selector position to make him more comfortable and that took up time but overall it is not so bad.´

`What he achieved this morning is already a good result. Of course it is difficult because we haven´t had so much time to set-up the bike, but today was the most difficult moment for him, getting back on the bike. Now he will go improving bit by bit.´<<<

Youtube clip has been removed. OT: Are any GP guys wearing the Leatt brace? Haven't heard much about the brace around here since it's inception. I have seen it in motocross action.

Lorenzo qualified 4th after this little reminder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfQfypi0ph0

Yes, that reminder was damn near as bad as the orginal fall. That's about as brutal as it gets w/o going down. What a pounding for an already damaged body to take. Tough little bastard.

Another link;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDZETubIe7k

He finished 4th despite his injuries, very impressive.

I was kind of hoping Hopkins and Kawasaki would have done better. I wonder when they're planning on running the screamer.

It was also good to see Melandri being competitive on the Ducati. Looks like 2008 is going to be a great MotoGP.

Further developments show the injuries are more serious than first thought:

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/news/162961-0/lorenzo_'worse_than_first_feared'.html

He may be tough, but he may also be stupid to take such risks and prolong his recover. I think we've discussed this before, but I think the pressure on these kids to take risks with their health makes the whole thing sorta creepy and macabre. Nobody should be racing motorcycles with broken ankles.

- Mark

Mark. I agree with you, to a great degree. But what I'd offer, from a racer's standpoint (even if a much older, slower, less bad-ass one) is that the pressure really comes from oneself. With few exceptions, those guys are out there for themselves and to beat the other guys. Now, at a much younger age, you have a strong case, and I feel the same way as you about many school sports programs. But in this case, I don't see the macabre, as though they're young, they're old enough (even if barely) to know what they're doing. And they wouldn't have it any other way.
I mean, I'm as candy ass and non competitive as you get by racer standards, and I raced last year when they told me I'd lose my stupid finger if I crashed. There's no way it would have stayed attached, given the compound fracture was only a week old, and that the external metal pins would have provided enough leverage to just pop the end off. I didn't much hesitate, and only modified my routine to the extent that the last pre race night was spent building a big glove instead of truing rims and loading bearings just right etc etc.

If that will come from a mild mannered aging racer like me, I can't even imagine what fire burns inside these kids. But whatever it is, it comes from within, and it's not due to macabre cannibalistic, and callous industry pressure.

But back to agreeing with you fully again. I sure wouldnt' and couldn't race with broken ankles. I already have an extra cheap set of leathers I can modify to accomodate moderate breaks, if needed, but not ankles (or right hand) Just can't imagine how he could do that at all. Much less be top 5. Amazing.

I read that Hopkins was racing with an injury to his hand after a collision during practice with DeAngelis. Anyone know what happened there?

Lorenzo was sliding around motorcycles when he was, what 6 or so. No front brakes, just dirt tracking on asphalt. These guys are so pumped up that they "forget" a lot. I met Lorenzo when he was 13 or so and leading the Spanish championship! the guy is a born racer and because he scored a lot of points already I think he must have thought "better to start and try and grab some point so I still have a chance"...I hope he heals quick enough and can rejoin as quick as possible. What I don't understand is how he highsided; during the practice on saturday he had a major incident altough he managed to stay in the saddle; seems the traction control was set-up more loosely...and these bikes. The Ducati did almost 329km/h...with 800 cc's...are these guys crazy or what ;)

Thoughtful response.

I think it is tough to say whether the pressure is internal or external - they blend together. Certainly no one is forcing them to get on the bike with broken collarbones and ankles, but at the same time, the entire system is geared to both encourage them to race this way and to look down on them as "soft" if they don't. They know they only have limited chances and they'll take almost any risk with their future health to have their shot.

I know it's not the same thing, but I compare this to athletes taking steroids and HGH. Yep, they're "old enough to know what they're doing", but that doesn't mean that its good for the sport to have kids doing these things. So rules are passed for the good of the sport and the good of the athletes. I don't know what rules you'd put in place for motorcycle racing, and I'm not advocating any at this point. I guess I just wish these guys would turn down the competition volume enough so that each could feel a little more comfortable with healing up before climbing on the bike again.

It physically pains me to see guys with bad injuries have further wrecks (e.g., Kevin Curtain a year or two ago falling hard a recently-screwed together collarbone). Jorge could have easily ended his career with that 2nd almost-accident at Shanghai. And what further aggravation of his injuries did he do riding with broken ankles?

- Mark

Have you guys seen 'faster'?
Dr. Costa explains it perfectly..somethijng about 'dinoysean madness'....normal people wouldn't perform injured. Motorcycle racers are NOT normal people...thank <insert diety here>
normal people are boring and dull
racers, for all their other faults, are very rarely boring.
It's the difference between living and existing
I limp and have scars...and I wouldn't trade any of those experiences for all the comfortable-drone lifestyles in hades:)

what's that shirt say?
'sportbikes...because golf is for pussies'

Have you guys seen 'faster'?
Dr. Costa explains it perfectly..somethijng about 'dinoysean madness'....normal people wouldn't perform injured. Motorcycle racers are NOT normal people...thank <insert diety here>
normal people are boring and dull
racers, for all their other faults, are very rarely boring.
It's the difference between living and existing
I limp and have scars...and I wouldn't trade any of those experiences for all the comfortable-drone lifestyles in hades:)

what's that shirt say?
'sportbikes...because golf is for pussies'

Shooting stars
 

Just like a certain race horse can cross the finish line with two broken ankles - the right combination of pain-killers and desire.

If Lorenzo had fallen off along the way and broken his legs everyone would have said what an idiot he was. Instead he finishes 4th and is a hero on his 21st birthday.