TONI ELÍAS TO MISS MUGELLO A press conference took place at 1pm this afternoon at the “Institut Universitari Dexeus de Barcelona”, where Fortuna Yamaha rider Toni Elías underwent an operation yesterday. The Spanish rider crashed just five minutes from the end of a day of private tests being carried out by his team at Le Mans on Monday. The Fortuna Yamaha rider, who had been on top form over the three days of the French Grand Prix, crashed at the chicane of the legendary circuit. Elías fractured the radius and scaphoid of his left wrist and ruptured the ligaments that link the triquetral bone and the radius. The rider also fractured the outside of his left fibula. Doctor Xavier Mir informed the media representatives present at the press conference of the full details of the injury to the Fortuna Yamaha rider. Xavier Mir, Doctor at the “Insitut Universitari Dexeus de Barcelona” “Toni’s operation was a case of fitting a titanium plate to his radius with a screw in his scaphoid, and the stitching of the ligaments that join the triquetral bone and the radius. The recuperation period for a normal person is around eight weeks, although taking into account Toni’s incredible capacity for recovery, I wouldn’t rule out his return at the Grand Prix of Catalunya.” Toni Elías (24): Lap time in private test: 1:34 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITION: 14th with 15 points. “We stayed on for an extra day of tests at Le Mans. Up to then things had been going really well – I was lapping in 1:34, about a second faster than I had done in the race and only three-hundredths off Valentino’s time. It was a shame but that’s racing In any case I’m in good spirits and I’m already looking forward to getting back on the bike. I would like to thank my whole team in general for their constant support, my sponsors and particularly Doctor Xavier Mir.” Hervé Poncharal, FORTUNA YAMAHA TeamDirector “I’m really sad about Toni Elías’ injury. Toni is demonstrating the massive potential he has and he had shown that once again on Sunday in the race. On Monday he was having a magnificent session when, unfortunately, he crashed. I wish him a speedy recovery and I hope that he can be back with us again soon. I would like to give my own special thanks to Dr. Mir and all his team for everything they have done”.