Chili badly battered by crash in testing

Frankie Chili’s first test on the NCR Ducati at Valencia has ended in a highside on cold tyres which sent him to hospital with concussion.

Chili had completed 12 laps of the final afternoon session on Saturday in a two-day test when the crash happened at Turn Four. He had just had the tyres changed on his ex-Bostrom works bike.

As well as concussion, Chili suffered bruising to his right kidney and could take no further part in the test.

The 37 year old Italian said: ” I started to slide, corrected it but then I was heading for the fence so I had to brake hard and was thrown off the bike. The doctors say nothing is broken but I am very sore all down my right side. We are due to test again at Vallelunga in ten days time but I’m not so sure if I’ll be fit by then. ”

His best time of 1:36.4 was quicker than Suzuki’s Gregorio Lavilla (1:37.0) and Juan Borja on a Ducati (1:37.2), the only other superbike riders at the test.

MORE ON THIS IN MCN, OUT ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2002