Toomebridge rider Eugene Laverty, who suffered crash injuries yesterday, pictured with wife Pippa

Eugene Laverty has been ruled out of action for 'a number of weeks' following a frightening crash in yesterday's second World Superbike race in Thailand.

The Milwaukee Aprilia rider slid off on lap four and was struck from behind by Spain's Jordi Torres, who also crashed in the incident.

There was initial concern after Laverty was unable to feel his feet, according to team boss Shaun Muir, but the feeling returned and later diagnosis revealed the 31-year-old had sustained a broken right-hand side pubic ramus bone.

Laverty was treated at Buriram Hospital but did not require surgery for the injury, as the bone is not weight-bearing.

However, the Northern Ireland rider - who finished ninth in Saturday's opening race at the Chang International Circuit - will now require an 'intensive recuperation period'.

"The focus today is to get Eugene stable and back home as soon as he is fit to travel."

Meanwhile, world champion Jonathan Rea is back in familiar territory as the factory Kawasaki rider moved to the top of the championship standings.

Rea won Saturday's first race by one-and-a-half seconds from Spaniard Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati), with Chaz Davies completing the top three on the Aruba Ducati.

It was the triple World Superbike champion's sixth victory in seven races in Thailand, but Rea could not repeat the trick yesterday, when a battling fourth place was the best the Co Antrim rider could muster.

Nonetheless, Italian Marco Melandri, who dominated at the first round with a double on the Aruba Ducati at Phillip Island, lost his championship lead as he struggled to eighth and seventh respectively.

The former MotoGP contender has now slipped into second place, albeit only two points behind Rea, who was left to rue brake problems from the beginning of the race.

"Around lap 14 or 15, the pressure seemed to come back and I was able to manage better," he added.

Meanwhile, Andrew Irwin from Carrickfergus finished 20th in the World Supersport race in Thailand as he made his debut for Simon Buckmaster's PTR Honda team.

The young prospect was forced to miss the opening round at Phillip Island with a hand injury sustained during testing.

How they finished

World Superbikes, Thailand, Race 1:

1 J Rea (Kawasaki) 31m 24.203s;
2 X Fores (Ducati) +1.550s;
3 C Davies (Ducati) +2.118s;
4 L Camier (Honda) +2.981s;
5 A Lowes (Yamaha) +7.258s;
6 T Sykes (Kawasaki) +7.501s;
7 M VD Mark (Yamaha) +8.500s;
8 M Melandri (Ducati) +10.184s.

Race 2:

1 C Davies (Ducati) 31m 23.406s;
2 M VD Mark (Yamaha) +2.185s;
3 A Lowes (Yamaha) +3.884s;
4 J Rea (Kawasaki) +6.554s;
5 X Fores (Ducati) +8.973s;
6 L Camier (Honda) +10.647s;
7 M Melandri (Ducati) +17.523s;
8 T. Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki) +21.618s.

Next round: Motorland Aragon, Spain, April 13-15.

World Championship Standings:

1 Jonathan Rea (Gbr) Kawasaki 69pts,
2 Marco Melandri (Ita) Ducati 67,
3 Javier Fores (Spa) Ducati 60,
4 Chaz Davies (Gbr) Ducati 57,
5 Alex Lowes (Gbr) Yamaha 48,
6 Michael van der Mark (Ned) Yamaha 45,
7 Tom Sykes (Gbr) Kawasaki 43,
8 Leon Camier (Gbr) Honda 42,
9 Loris Baz (Fra) BMW 21,
10 Topak Razgatlioglu (Tur) Kawasaki 18

Team:
1 Ducati 95pts,
2 Kawasaki 78,
3 Yamaha 52,
4 Honda 42,
5 Aprilia 23,
6 BMW 21,
7 MV Augusta 14

John Hutchinson

World Superbike racer Eugene Laverty was last night admitted to an Intensive Care Unit at a Bangkok hospital for further injury assessment following his crash in Thailand on Sunday.

The Toomebridge rider was flown 250 miles by helicopter yesterday from a local hospital in Buriram where the crash happened in Sunday's WSB round.

He came off his Milwaukee Aprilia in race two on lap four and was hit from behind by Spain's Jordi Torres.

Laverty, the 2013 championship runner-up, sustained a broken pelvis in the incident and was taken to Buriram Hospital where the 31-year-old underwent an operation on Sunday night for a 'minor internal injury'.

His wife Pippa said:

"Eugene made it to the Bangkok hospital safe and sound. He is spending the night in the Intensive Care Unit and will have more checks tomorrow, then we will make a recovery plan."

Laverty is expected to be out of action for weeks, rather than months as first feared.

The rider felt well enough to thank fans for their well wishes, saying:

“Thanks everyone for the encouraging messages. Broken pelvis won’t keep me away for long. I had a successful op last night in Buriram for some internal damage so we’re on the road to recovery.”

Laverty, now in his second season with Shaun Muir’s Milwaukee Aprilia team after re-joining the Championship after two years in MotoGP, had made an encouraging start to the season.

He qualified second fastest for the opening race of 2018 last month at Phillip Island in Australia, finishing eighth after he was slowed by a front tyre issue.

In race two in Australia, Laverty was leading when he crashed out. He managed to return to the pits for some repair work and ventured back onto the track, eventually crossing the line in 15th place to earn a Championship point.

At the weekend, he headed the times in the second free practice session on Friday before qualifying eighth fastest for Saturday’s first race.

Laverty completed the race in ninth position after he was forced to slacken his pace due to a fuel problem with the Aprilia.

Round three of the Championship will be staged at Motorland Aragon in Spain from April 13-15.

Laverty is obviously a doubt for Aragon as the Championship heads to Europe for a run of five straight rounds, with the Northern Ireland rider’s recovery expected to take several weeks.

A statement issued by his Milwaukee Aprilia team said:

“Eugene will need a few weeks to recover, so we will wait to see his fitness for Aragon.”


Meanwhile, Valentino Rossi says he is still suffering under acceleration as changes to the set-up of his Yamaha’s electronics failed to yield the desired results on day two of MotoGP testing in Thailand.

He said: “It was a tough day. We started quite well in the morning, and I did some good lap times. After that we had some work to do and something to try, and I didn’t like it a lot.

“We tried some things with the electronics and with the settings, but unfortunately didn’t find an improvement. We also had some work to do for Michelin.

“It was a tough day. Now we have to concentrate and speak with the guys.”

Jim Gracey

Thumbs up: Eugene Laverty recovers in hospital after his crash in Thailand on Sunday

Eugene Laverty gave a thumbs up from his Bangkok hospital bed, showing he's good spirits and looking forward to a May comeback in World Superbikes after his crash in the Thai round at Buriram on Sunday.

Toomebridge man Laverty is resigned to missing the next three rounds of the championship due to his injuries.

Laverty came off his Milwaukee Aprilia in the second race at the Chang International Circuit and was struck by another competitor.

He was treated at Buriram Hospital, but was later flown by helicopter to hospital in Bangkok on Monday.

His wife Pippa issued a statement yesterday, revealing the 31-year-old had suffered two fractures of his pelvis, which will 'heal without surgical intervention'.

Laverty, though, did have a small operation on Sunday night to repair some internal injuries.

Laverty says he now hopes to return to action in time for his home round of the championship at Donington Park, which will take place from May 25-27.

"I'm obviously very disappointed that I will be forced to miss some races so early in the season, but I count myself lucky that my injuries are not worse," the Northern Irishman said.

World champion Jonathan Rea won race one in Thailand and finished fourth on Sunday to move to the top of the table.

The Larne man - who in 2017 became the first competitor to win the title in three consecutive years - leads Ducati's Marco Melandri by two points and is aiming to become the joint most successful rider in the history of the championship by winning a fourth world crown this year, which would see him draw level with Carl Fogarty.

The championship moves to Europe next month for a run of five races, starting with round three at Motorland Aragon in Spain from April 13-15.

Jim Gracey