Randy de Puniet suffers vertebrae fracture – will try to ride at Laguna Seca

Pramac Ducati’s garage will look like a clinic for the walking wounded when they start warm-up practice at Laguna Seca.
Randy de Puniet who has had a horrid season so far with the Ducati GP11 (he’s finished 4 races out of 9), suffered an early session qualifying crash at turn 5 and despite getting up and limping away from the incident it was immediately suspected that he had sustained some sort of fracture and follow up tests have unfortunately confirmed it.

The French rider has been diagnosed with a fracture of the transverse process at L3 and L4 on the right side and and has a suspected fracture of the pelvis on the right side, and despite these injuries, he has been given permission to try to test out his fitness during warm-up practice and then he’ll decide if he can hold up for the long 32 lap race.
“Not much to say.

I made a mistake trying to push when I just left the pits but the tyres were probably not yet ready,” said de Puniet.
“It’s really a shame because my feeling in this track was good in all practice sessions.

The physical pain is also strong, I move with difficulties, but tomorrow morning I want to try to get on the bike to see if I can participate in the race.
”Pramac team mate Loris Capirossi is also struggling with lingering shoulder pain.
Capirex suffered a big highside in qualifying at Assen and missed the last two rounds, he qualified 16th at Laguna Seca.
“It was really hard.
For each change of direction the shoulder gives me a lot of pain, but we came here and we will fight until the end to finish the race in the best possible way,” said Capirossi.
“I’m sorry for the whole team that is working so hard as usual to help me to always be faster.
Tomorrow I will do my best for them.
”