Over the years, we have seen a number of riders break their pelvis in roadracing accidents. This is a very difficult injury to recover from. It is certainly no easier when the rider is over 40 years old.
41-year-old Pierfrancesco “Frankie” Chili broke his pelvis (and two ribs) following a high-side crash during WSB testing at Misano earlier today. Chili, aboard his Honda CBR1000RR Superbike, is the most experienced rider in the WSB paddock these days, having made his racing debut way back in 1982 (24 years ago!). A veteran of numerous GP campaigns, and in the midst of his twelfth WSB series, he is known for his grit and determination (as well as his good looks). Chili has never won the WSB championship — his best finishes were fourth place in both the 1998 and 2000 WSB championship series.
Most fans will remember Chili’s brawl with Ducati teammate and World champion Carl Fogarty following the 1998 Assen WSB race, where Chili crashed and blamed it on Fogarty’s aggressive riding tactics.