Kawasaki (Provec Racing) has issued another press release (in Spanish) with a new health update on Joan Lascorz, and for the first time since his horrific accident five months ago while testing at the Imola which left the unfortunate Spanish rider paralyzed from the waist down and with no feeling in his fingers and abdominal area, Lascorz personally talks about his situation and the team has detailed what happened to him that fateful day.
Here is the translation of the press release.
The current situation Joan Lascorz remains hospitalized at the Guttmann Institute to continue his rehabilitation program and and adapt to his new life.
It is expected that Joan will leave the Institute in mid September.
Lascorz suffered a lesion of the C6 vertebra due to the impact against a concrete wall at the Imola circuit.
Joan has suffered a dislocated vertebra C6 spinal cord injury which doctors have judged to be irreversible.
Joan is a paraplegic: he has no mobility in his legs, fingers and abdominal area, but has sensibility in his hands, face, neck, arms, shoulders, elbows and wrists.
He has 100% of his mental faculties and is refocusing with great mental strength and motivation on a new career in other sports outside World Superbikes.
The circumstances of the accident Joan suffered his accident during the World Superbike championship.
Joan crashed while doing his job and pushing to the limit as the telemetry data revealed and Guim Roda, Kawasaki Racing Team Manager said, “Joan lost control of the bike entering a right hander in 5th gear after the straight with his front wheel slightly off the ground, when his tire made contact with the asphalt he went off track while he was lowering his best lap time.
The consequences of the accident are not due so much to the crash itself, but the impact at almost 200 km/h against an unprotected wall.
Joan Lascorz’s comments “Well, what happened to me was a bitch.
I don’t know if what happened to me was just a case of back luck or if the standards at Imola aren’t adequate for racing 240hp motorcycles.
In any case it is certainly a turning point in my racing career and my life.
It a very difficult situation, I have to grit my teeth to keep going.
I’d like to thank all the people who have given me endless support all the Superbike and MotoGP riders and everyone else from the other series, as well as Albert Llovera, Filippo Preziosi, Oscar Lanza, Isidre Esteve, Pau Bach, their visits and talks have been invaluable to me in this period.
To the countless doctors and nurses, to WSBK, to the Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna, the Vall d’Hebron Hospital and Guttmann Institute: I was treated like a King! I’d like to also thank the Catalan and Spanish Motorcycle Federation for their support, but above all, a thanks to all my family, my father Juan who suffered some terrifying moments, almost worse than I did, my mother Maribel, my brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and the team.
Once I leave the Guttmann Institute, I’ll have to start a new life.
I’ll have to re-think everything, and look for financial resources to move forward because the situation isn’t easy.
I’ll have to set new goals to continue to enjoy life, although not with the same intensity as before.
“Sometimes I feel a deep sense of sadness for what happened to me and because of a wall everything has changed, but sometimes I try to think to the future with confidence and optimism and what I’ll have to relearn.
It wasn’t easy for me to reach certain goals, with the help of others I stopped deliverying pizzas with a 50cc bike when I was 18 and become a professional racer.
It’s not fair and really very sad, but now we have to find a solution.
This injury will not only keep me forever away from racing, but it has deeply marked my life.
The support stickerWhen my friends made that sticker (Power for 17 Lascorz – Fighting Spirit – Never Give Up)which was to symbolize my recovery and I couldn’t believe the impact it had and the help that it gave me.
It gave me so much strength and that so many people would express their solidarity about my accident, so I would like to thank them for making them.
I was surprised to see riders like Rossi, Dovizioso, Crutchlow, Hayden, Pedrosa, Yonny Hernandez, Lorenzo, many if not all the MotoGP riders interested in me, as well as Marquez, Espargaro, Rabat, Rins… I’ll never forget that more than 10,000 stickers were made in my support.
In Superbike I think all the riders have one like Checa, Haslam, Smrz, Sykes, my substitute Loris Baz, Max Biaggi has it on his TV monitor in his garage, Rea, Melandri and Salom who plastered it over half his bike.
“Some teams, like BMW, have even placed even in front fairing of the bike.
I’d also like to thank Sofuoglu, Morais, all Kawasaki Superstock 1000 and 600 riders, as well as Katsuaki Fujiwara and Akira Yanagawa who ride with Kawasaki in Japan and have it on their machines.
Honda Spain has it on its website, the Easyrace Cup, as well as many of my friends who are riders in the CEV, and the MotorLand Aragon has a meter high one at the entrance of the circuit.
Solo Moto magazine who’s initiative made it possible to distribute the stickers and Motocard and Kawasaki who financed it.
All the media that continues to be interested and have published news news despite my silence.
And all those fans who sent me photos and encouragements, and everyone else that I’ve may forgotten I would like to thank you all very much.
And for those who offered invitations it isn’t out of rudeness that I haven’t accepted, but because until I recover and think out my future and I prefer to live a relaxed and private life without forgetting Joan Lascorz the motorcycle racer.
I would really like to thank everyone, I am very proud of my career and to have met such wonderful people around the world.
To everyone thank you so much for your support.
Lascorz’s futureWhen Lascorz leaves the Guttmann Institute in September he will start a new life and layout the foundation for his long term future.
So far, all communications concerning Joan were managed by the comunications office of Provec Racing who handles Kawasaki Racing’s press, but starting from now you can follow Joan on his official website www.
joanlascorz.
com which will be renewed in the upcoming weeks.
Meanwhile, it is already possible to send messages of support to Joan via email to info@joanlascorz.
com.
The team we’d like to ask that all the riders and teams and everyone involved in the motorcycle racing world to keep the support Joan sticker until end of season.
It has proved to be some great help in keeping Joan’s spirit and hopes high and keeping it will perserve his image as a rider.
This will allow him to keep thinking as a rider, with ambition and fighting spirit, and he will need it now more than ever.
Sincerely,Provec Racing Team Photo source albertollovera@facebook.
com
