MotoGP: McWilliams Hurt at Jerez Test

Jeremy McWilliams was rushed to hospital on the final day of the MotoGP testing session at Jerez yesterday. The veteran Ulsterman had crashed his bike at turn 4, a 100+mph left-hander, suffering serious leg, shoulder and hand injuries. It has been reported that he would undergo an operation to insert a steel pin in his thighbone, and that he might lose a finger on his left hand. It was a very high-speed crash, with the bike being catapulted over the safety barriers. He was reported to be almost guaranteed a race seat at Ilmor in 2007, which must now be in serious doubt. McWilliams had been the faster of the two Ilmors, lapping 3 tenths faster than Andrew Pitt. I'm sure everybody joins me in wishing him a speedy recovery.
Dani Pedrosa was the fastest rider, using a qualifying tyre, with a stunning lap of 1:39.910, with Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri, also on qualifiers, setting 1:40.123 and 1:40.524 respectively.
Suzuki are still looking good, lapping the fastest of anyone on race tyres with Vermeulen putting in a 1:40.766, and Hopkins a 1:41.049.
Next were Nakano (Honda), Edwards (Yamaha) and Barros, who lapped faster on his d'Antin customer Ducati than Capirossi and Stoner did on the factory bikes.