Jorge Lorenzo’s awesome fifth place in the Assen GP, just 36 hours after undergoing a two-hour collarbone surgery, raised the the already high ‘cojones’ level, even higher, to a ’superhuman’ level.
The Yamaha rider’s decision to attempt to race made with a clear conscious and it paid off, because he lost only two points to standings leader and rival Dani Pedrosa, who couldn’t take advantage of Lorenzo’s temporary impairment.
However, Dr.
Joaquín Rodríguez who was one of the three surgeons who inserted a titanium plate and eight screws into the Yamaha rider’s collarbone, did try to ‘dissuade’ the reigning World champion from racing on Saturday.
In an interview with Spanish news agency EFE Rodriguez described the rider’s surgery, which he explained wasn’t simple because Lorenzo had previous fractured his collarbone, and this time he had a displaced, complex fracture and one of the bone fragments was dangerously close to his subclavian artery and vein.
Rodriguez said, “This type of fracture can cause serious injury to blood vessels that pass beneath the collarbone or in the pleura.
You can’t underestimate these fractures, most are not dangerous, but Jorge’s case it was a little dangerous.
After the surgery we talked him trying to dissuade him from racing, but we understood that he already had the idea in his head, so we gave him a list of movements that he couldn’t do under any circumstances, and basically we told him to avoid lifting his arm above his head, and above 90°, which are movements that stress the collarbone.
We told him other precautions to take, and what the warning signs were, and that he should retire from the race if he noticed something was wrong.
“I think he understood the warnings that we gave him, he did the fitness test with relative ease.
He rode the warm up, eleven laps, had a good feeling and held up well.
I saw it on TV and it was hard to watch.
Both my colleagues and I watched the race, and we studied his every move, his posture.
We were worried a lot, but in the end he gave us lesson in physical and mental strength and the will to overcome problems.
”At the end of the race Sportmediaset’s Paolo Beltramo said to Lorenzo, “You’re a hero”, and Lorenzo replied, “No, heroes are those who work hard just to reach the end of each month.
I get paid to do these things.
”If someone deserves 2013 Laureus Award for “Comeback of the Year”, that has to be Lorenzo.