MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso has been hospitalised after he was involved in a motocross crash on Sunday.
The Ducati rider was taking part in a motocross race in his native Italy when it’s reported he lost the rear of his bike while landing a jump, causing Dovizioso to fall onto his left shoulder.
The 34-year-old was taken to hospital in Forli with a suspected fractured collarbone, which was later confirmed by Ducati.
“After suffering a crash during a motocross race in Faenza, Andrea Dovizioso has sustained a left collarbone injury.”
The team also confirmed Dovizioso would undergo immediate surgery: “After consultation with Prof. Porcellini, Dovi has decided to proceed with surgery this evening in Modena to be fit in time for the start of the 2020 MotoGP season.”
The crash couldn’t have come at a worse time as preparations for the start of the delayed MotoGP season are underway, with the first race at Jerez just a handful of weeks away on July 19.
The Italian could be forced to miss the opening races, with an expected recovery time of several weeks, although it isn’t unheard of for riders to compete with an injury before it has fully healed.
This could be compounded by the condensed calendar, which sees five races in the opening six weeks.
Dovizioso is currently negotiating his future with Ducati with a 2021 ride hanging in the balance, and this incident could now play a factor in those discussions, with the outfit unlikely to react well to an injury sustained outside of the premier class.
Just this week Dovi’s manager believed a deal was “99 per cent certain”, though he also confirmed interest from KTM.
