SBK | Honda tile: Vierge fractured a rib in tests

2022 has certainly not started in a linear way for the HRC team, which starts again for the new season of the Superbike World Championship with a totally renewed line-up, but which is struggling to find consistency. If in the first winter tests Iker Lecuona slipped fracturing his hand, during the last day of tests in Barcelona held yesterday it was Xavi Vierge’s turn. The Spaniard had a highside at Turn 12 forcing the red flag to be displayed for a brief moment.

The Honda rider was taken to the medical center, where he was found to have a fractured rib and was later transferred to the hospital. Despite the injury, Vierge is fine and has always remained conscious, but he will most likely miss next week’s tests in Aragon. No precise recovery time has been given and the HRC team says he will start physiotherapy very soon so that he can get back on track as soon as possible. It will therefore be very difficult to see him on the starting grid at Motorland, the opening round of the 2022 season.

At the end of the final day of testing, Vierge talks about the work done on the track and also the crash: “The crash was a shame and it came to the end of what had been a very constructive test session. On the first day there was good weather as we hadn’t seen it for a while and we were able to make the most of it. Montmelo is a kind of home track for me, but it’s also new to the CBR, so the first goal was to build confidence on the bike and understand what areas we need to work on and improve the setup. We focused on those aspects and made some steps forward in these two days, picking up a good pace and gathering information ”.

“On Saturday afternoon the conditions worsened and it rained after lunch. We took the opportunity to work on the rain setup and with Pirelli wet tires. Unfortunately I fell and got hurt. I will start rehabilitation and physiotherapy so that I can get back on track as soon as possible “.