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Bezzecchi cleared for Indonesia MotoGP despite crash week after surgery
The Italian, third in the rider standings and 54 points behind leader Francesco Bagnaia, landed in Lombok on Friday morning before medical checks gave him the green light to drive.
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Team VR46's Italian rider Marco Bezzechi holds his silver medal up as he celebrates on the podium after winning 2nd place in the Sprint race ahead of the Italian MotoGP race at Mugello Circuit in Mugello, on June 10, 2023.
(AFP/Filippo Monteforte)
M
arco Bezzecchi was cleared for the Indonesian MotoGP on Friday, organisers and his team said, despite crashing in the first practice session a week after undergoing surgery on a broken collarbone.
The Italian, third in the rider standings and 54 points behind leader Francesco Bagnaia, landed in Lombok on Friday morning before medical checks gave him the green light to drive.
But after 18 practice laps he crashed at full speed on turn 11 of the Mandalika circuit, coming off his bike and tumbling across the gravel, though he managed to walk back to the paddock without assistance.
The Ducati-VR46 rider was fifth fastest in the practice session before the crash.
He was later checked and cleared to ride in the second practice session on Friday afternoon.
"Marco Bezzecchi has been declared FIT," MotoGP tweeted on its official account.
His VR46 team shared the tweet, adding: "Marco Bezzecchi has been declared fit for the whole GP."
Before the session, MotoGP had shared footage of Bezzecchi zipping up his leathers over a bandage for his collarbone.
"Just five days on from surgery on his collarbone, Bez is here and ready to give it a go!" MotoGP tweeted.
He suffered the injury during a practice ride at team owner Valentino Rossi's ranch.
"Immediately after the operation, I saw the possibility of trying to take part in the Grand Prix," he said on Wednesday.
Bezzecchi was the only doubt for Sunday's race, with all other riders declared fit on Thursday.
Spaniard Alex Rins, of Honda satellite team LCR, broke the tibia and fibula of his right leg in Mugello at the beginning of June and gave up on the first day of testing in Japan two weeks ago because "the pain was too much".
Also cleared is Bezzecchi's teammate and compatriot Luca Marini, who fractured his right clavicle during the Indian MotoGP three weeks ago.
Spaniard Alex Marquez of Ducati-Gresini, who broke three ribs in a heavy crash in India, will also return after sitting out the last race in Japan.
