Kiyonari ruled out with broken collarbone

Ryuichi Kiyonari’s tough start to the 2016 MCE British Superbike season became even tougher at Brands Hatch this afternoon after a crash in the second free practice session left him with a broken collarbone.

The three-time British Champion was trying different lines into Graham Hill bend when he tucked the front on entry. Going down hard on his left shoulder, he was taken straight to the medical centre where he was diagnosed with a clean break of the clavicle – the collarbone he broke in the fall which ended his title chances at the same corner in 2014.

The Bennetts Suzuki team have confirmed Kiyonari will sit out the rest of the weekend before flying back to Japan on Monday morning. He’ll then undergo an extensive recuperation programme with the aim of being back on track for the next round at Knockhill.

“I’m just disappointed because before the crash I was feeling really good,” he said speaking to MCN. “The result wasn’t so good on paper but our lap times were very consistent and then in FP2 it was the same but a bit faster, the time I set kept me in fourth position even though I crashed out after five laps. I was trying a different line into Graham Hill and just lost the front.

“I don’ t need any surgery, I will go back to Japan on Monday and go straight to hospital on Tuesday where they will check it. I’ll have laser treatment and then spend some time in the hyperbaric chamber. It’s not easy to recover from a broken collarbone but I know what to do as I did the same last year and the year before! It won’t be a problem to be back for Knockhill.”