Luthi: the toughest man in MotoGP?
Three podiums in as many races - all with a buggered collarbone
DISAPPOINTED by England's effort in this year's World Cup? No we don't really give a hoot either but perhaps the team boss Fabio Capello should recite this to his players before they start whinging about injury, money or unfair treatment.
In last weekend's Catalunya GP, Moto2 title contender Thomas Luthi completed a run of three races with a dislocated, then broken, then finally re-plated left collar-bone. The Swiss former 125 World Champion was on the rostrum at all three races.
Luthi dislocated the collarbone in a motocross training spill in the week before the Silverstone GP. Heavily strapped and telling no-one, he raced to second, leading for much of the race. The following week a slide in practice at Assen fractured the injured joint. Luthi gritted his teeth and raced to third.
That very same evening Luthi flew straight home to Switzerland for corrective surgery in which a plate in his shoulder was replaced. He was back on track, qualifying on the front row and finishing second.
MotoGP man Marco Melandri raced to a top ten finish in the MotoGP class, in spite of dislocating his shoulder and fracturing his breast-bone the week before at Assen.
Wayne Rooney? Well, we'll let you fill in the missing blanks ...
