JORGE LORENZO UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL OPERATION FORTUNA APRILIA rider JORGE LORENZO underwent surgery on his broken left collarbone this morning at the Dexeus Institute in Barcelona, where Dr. Xavier Mir fitted a titanium plate to seal the fracture. After the operation, which lasted just over an hour, the rider remained under observation for a further hour before he was taken to his room. He could barely open eyes when he asked how long it would be before he could ride again, just as he had done after a similar operation on the same injury earlier in the year. On that occasion he had sustained the break in a fall during the Catalunya GP although he returned to action just thirteen days later to set pole position and clinch a podium finish in the Dutch TT at the demanding Assen circuit. The Valencia crash was the fourth time Jorge Lorenzo has fractured his collarbone during his fledgling race career. According to the medical staff, Lorenzo will be released from hospital within the next 24 hours. After a few days’ rest the Mallorcan will begin a recuperation programme that should allow him to return to action without any further problems at the tests FORTUNA APRILIA have planned for the end of January at Jerez de la Frontera. Jorge Lorenzo’s excellent physical condition has raised optimism of a swift recovery and should leave this injury as a mere anecdote. JORGE LORENZO (48), FORTUNA-APRILIA RIDER: “The thing that most annoys me is not the injury itself but the fact that the crash prevented me from following up the excellent times we had been setting. On Thursday we were already inside the circuit record and I am sure we could have made even more progress. I feel sorry for my team and for my physical trainer because on Christmas Day he’ll have to eat his ‘turron’ [typical Spanish sweet] quickly because he knows that whilst other people might be at home taking a rest, we’ll be doing a double session in the gym. You have to be optimistic, even in a situation like this, so on the positive side at least we will have a different kind of Christmas this year!”