Niccolò Canepa recently underwent surgery in Barcelona to stabilize three fractures in his left ankle. The Italian driver was in Spain for several days of testing with teammates Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika when he suffered a serious fall at turn 10 of the Valencia circuit. Surgeons worked on the fractures and fitted two plates during a two-hour surgery.
The post-operative prognosis looks good and Niccolò Canepa should be fully recovered for the 44th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Motos, the first round of the 2021 FIM EWC Endurance World Championship.
He returns to this incident that occurred a few days ago: “We were in Spain for several days of testing before the new season. Tuesday morning on the Valencia circuit, I wanted to push too hard on a track that was still a little dirty and I was the victim of a big highside. It's probably the most important of my career. Doctors inserted two plates to stabilize the fractures. It was not so easy to repair, but the doctors were very pleased with the result and are confident that I will be completely cured. The pain goes away and I can start the rehabilitation process with some physiotherapy. I am confident that I will be in great shape for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Motos and I can't wait to get back on the Yamaha R1M. »
If, however, Niccolò Canepa was not ready to take over at Le Mans, the YART team could call on its reserve driver, Michael Laverty, to replace him. During these tests, the YART Yamaha R1 showed a very high level of performance. It benefits from new electronics and the drivers are very satisfied with this development. YART will be the official team of the three tuning forks brand during the 2021 FIM EWC season.
Source: ACO/lemans.org
