Injured Michele Pirro rages at “bowling” crash: “I am very angry”
The Ducati test and reserve rider was racing in the title decider of the Italian Superbike (CIV) series when he was clattered by Lorenzo Zanetti, costing him a chance to defend his accolade.
Pirro has since had surgery on a fractured left leg.
“He said normal race contact,” Pirro sarcastically commented on social media about Zanetti’s manoeuvre.
“I missed that there was bowling at the Imola Circuit!
“How sad for sport, you accept something like this if you have a technical problem or an illness but not if you have a rider’s licence, with the risk of hurting others.
“I repeat, I am not interested in the Championship, I am interested in my health and above all in preventing young people from taking these examples, or as stated either ‘gravel or glory’.
“I'm very angry because I'm suffering physically from something that could have been avoided.”
He later confirmed from his hospital bed that he’d had “four screws and a few stitches”.
Pirro became the latest Ducati rider to be injured, a day after Marco Bezzecchi broke his collarbone in training.
Luca Marini, recovering from his own collarbone injury, will fly to the Indonesian MotoGP this weekend.
But Bezzecchi’s participation is in doubt, and regular replacement Pirro is now sidelined too.
Alex Marquez of Gresini Ducati and factory rider Enea Bastianini also have their own physical problems ahead of Mandalika.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
