Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts and Bob Dragich

Ducati Austin’s Anthony Gobert is riding with a broken left hand at Daytona International Speedway.

“I broke it sparring,” Gobert told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday evening after practice. “Part of my training now is boxing, and we were sparring using mitts. I just hit it (the mitt) wrong.”

Gobert was seen taping and wrapping his left hand before riding his Ducati 998RS Superbike in practice as well as wearing a brace on the hand in between sessions.

Gobert only rode 12 laps in Wednesday afternoon’s Superbike practice session and was ninth-fastest with a 1:52.174. Mat Mladin was the fastest Superbike rider in afternoon session with time of 1:49.413, but Kurtis Roberts turned the fastest time of the day with a 1:49.314 in the first Superbike practice session.