Guintoli heads back to UK for checks following Jerez testing crash

World Superbike champion Sylvan Guintoli has left the two day WSB test at Jerez and returned to the UK for further medical checks following his crash yesterday. The PATA Honda rider suffered a traction control glitch which caused him to crash at the beginning of the opening day of the test.

Guintoli landed heavily on his head and shoulder and was immediately ruled out of testing that day, but initially hoped to try agin on day two.

Speaking to MCN after the crash he said: “It was my first flying lap but as I exited turn one there was some sort of technical issue and I was highsided. I landed on my head and back and when I first got up I couldn’t feel my arm at all which was pretty worrying. The feeling has come back now, but it still doesn’t feel right. I want to get checked out properly and understand if anything is broken. I also need to make sure that if I were to crash again I wouldn’t do anymore damage.”

Pata Honda’s Peter Breddels said: “Sylvan was checked out here in Spain and they could see no breaks on the x-rays, but it was clear when I saw him last night that he was not feeling good. He’s back in the UK now and will get checked out by his own doctors. It’s really disappointing but we still have two more days of testing in Phillip Island before the first race.”

Since making the switch from the factory Aprilia to PATA Honda, Guintoli has been upbeat about the performance of the CBR1000RR.  

Guintoli said: “After I first tested the bike in November I made a lot of requests on things to change and my initial impression was that the team had achieved a lot of them. For sure the engine character is different from the Aprilia, but I feel that I’ve already got me head round that. The important thing is that I know what I want from the bike, now it’s a case of finding it.”