Karel Abraham pulls out of Sachsenring, Franco Battaini to ride in his place Due to injury, Karel Abraham will not be starting the German Grand Prix, which takes place from 6 8 July at Sachsenring. Taking over the bike of the Czech rider will be Ducati team test rider, Franco Battaini. He has already had some experience working alongside Cardion AB Motoracing at a pre-season test at Sepang, and this season has already tested the Ducati team bike in place of the injured Nicky Hayden. Karel Abraham “Assen showed us there was no point in racing at all costs, because with this handicap I can’t perform at my maximum, and, at the same time, by straining my injured hand I’m just extending the recovery time needed to heal the break. Unfortunately, for a motorcycle rider this type of injury is really unlucky: it’s one of the areas of the hand that is subject to tremendous strain, and if it’s not completely healed, it puts a limit on what I can do. We simply have to hope that a two-week break is enough to regain fitness, and that I’ll be able to return to the track at Mugello.” Karel Abraham sr., Manager of the the Cardion AB Motoracing team “Franco is an experienced and top-class rider, who has already worked with us during our second pre-season tests at Sepang, when Kája had to pull out due to a back injury. At that time he was an enormous help in enabling us to set up Kája’s bike, and I think the collaboration worked out really well for all of us. I’m confident this relationship will continue to prosper this weekend. After a crash during testing for the motoGP at Aragon in Spain, Karel Abraham suffered several lacerations to the fingers and a broken fifth metacarpal bone (little finger). Such injury takes at least a few weeks to fully heal, but for motorcycle racers the effects can hamper movement for several months. Before Italy’s Grand Prix at Mugello, which takes place from 13 15 July, Karel will undergo a further check-up, after which, on the basis of the doctors’ recommendations, it will be decided whether he will start in Italy.