Andrea Dovizioso retired from MotoGP a little over three months ago and he’s already visited the hospital. Over the weekend, the Italian rider crashed at the Fermo Motocross track. The incident resulted in a broken right wrist. The injury was in such a state that Dovi arrived at Italy’s Hospital Murri di Fermo sporting a makeshift splint made of wood and tape.
“Couple of hours of fear, but it's part of the game,” admitted Dovizioso in an Instagram post. “The important thing is that I'm okay and I didn't have any permanent damage.”
Dovi goes on to thank Doctor Lamponi Federico for his treatment, even showing off before and after x-rays of his damaged wrist.
Dovizioso isn’t alone when it comes to training injuries either. Motocross has humbled numerous Grand Prix World Champions in recent years. In 2021, an MX crash sidelined Marc Marquez for the final two races of the season with a return bout of diplopia (double vision). During the 2022 season, Moto2 standout and 2021 Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta broke his left femur as a result of a motocross crash in Barcelona, Spain.
Most recently, 2021 MotoGP champ Fabio Quartararo suffered a fracture in his left hand while MX training. Of course, all three riders remain active in the Grand Prix, as they prepare for the 2023 MotoGP season. That’s not the case for Dovizioso, though.
After retiring from the World Championship, Dovizioso pursued his dreams of competing in motocross professionally. He often spoke of his love for motocross and even embarked on an MX trip to the U.S. with Red Bull in 2020. With ample motivation, number 04 hopes to return to the track in record time despite the severity of his injury.
“Now I’m taking a little break,” concluded Dovi. “See you on track in a month to get back to the 2023 goals.”
