Lowes ruled out of remainder of Donington round

Alex Lowes has been ruled out of the remainder of this weekend’s World Superbike action at Donington Park as he continues to recover from a broken collarbone.

The PATA Yamaha star sustained a fracture to his left clavicle in a fall during the second Superbike race in Sepang two weeks ago but, determined not to let his home crowd down, he attempted to ride as the seventh round of the series got underway at Donington Park on Friday.

Having taken no painkillers, he finished the day a heroic fourth fastest but struggled to complete longer runs.

Following a trip to the medical centre after this morning’s FP3, the team along with the series’ medical director decided that the Brit would play no further part in the weekend’s proceedings. 

A team statement read: “It is with great regret that the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team confirms it has been forced to withdraw Alex Lowes from the Donington Park event with immediate effect, due to the shoulder injury sustained at Sepang circuit a fortnight ago. Even with further physiotherapy and injections today, he is unable to ride for more than three or four laps before the strength in his shoulder disappears and he is unable to support himself correctly under braking or to hold on to the bike in changes of direction. He does not believe he can safely compete with the other riders over 23 laps without creating a potentially dangerous situation for himself or his competitors. Race Direction and the WorldSBK medical team are in agreement with this decision and while Alex would love nothing more than to compete in front of his home fans, safety must be his prime concern.”