TT Assen: Gresini Racing Thursday notes

ELIAS TO MISS OUT AFTER ASSEN TUMBLE
The Spaniard fractures his left femur in practice for Dutch TT

Assen continues to be a bogey track for Toni Elias, who was injured this morning in a free practice crash at turn fifteen. The Spaniard, who damaged his shoulder here last year and missed the race, will again be absent from Saturday's starting grid after breaking his left femur in an awkward slide into the gravel trap. After visiting the Clinica Mobile, where the fracture was diagnosed, Elias was transferred to the Wilhelmina hospital in Assen for further checks and was operated on this afternoon. Doctor Costa accompanied the Gresini Honda rider throughout and says he will need three months to recover.

It was also a difficult day for Marco Melandri, who worked hard on the geometry of his bike as he continues to try and find a setting that can allow him to ride comfortably and turn around his fortunes in a difficult season.

MARCO MELANDRI (16th, 1' 39"259): "We're having a tough time because I can't find a good feeling with the bike and can't ride it as I want. We've worked on the geometry today and tried a few different solutions in an attempt to improve my race pace but we've still got a lot of work to do. I'm really upset about Toni's crash and hope that he gets better and returns to join us soon."

TONI ELIAS (crashed): "I knew I'd broken my leg straight away. I tried to put it back in position even though the pain was tremendous. Hopefully I can recover quickly and be back on track soon. I also want to thank all the Clinica Mobile staff for their help and support."

-credit: gresiniracing