Arm injury rules Jacque out of Shanghai clash

Olivier Jacque’s nightmare return to the MotoGP world championship continued in Shanghai today when a crash in this afternoon’s second free practice session left him with a serious puncture wound in his right arm.

The factory Kawasaki rider has definitely been ruled out of this weekend’s race in China and is now a major doubt for his home race in Le Mans on May 20, 2007.

Jacque will require surgery on the puncture wound that will either be carried out in Shanghai before he flies back to Europe or in Paris.

A decision will be taken when further examinations have been carried out.

A source said he would also require a skin graft on the arm injury.

Today’s crash piles the misery on the former world 250 champion.

He was heavily criticised after a lacklustre display in the second round of the series in Jerez, and then suffered a nightmare in Istanbul when he instigated a first lap pile-up that took out Colin Edwards, Dani Pedrosa and Chris Vermeulen.