Successful Surgery for Niccolò Canepa after Valencia Testing Crash

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official rider, Niccolò Canepa, is recovering well after undergoing successful surgery yesterday. Doctors at the Hospital Universitario Dexeus in Barcelona operated to stabilise three fractures to Canepa’s left ankle, sustained in a testing crash at Valencia on Tuesday.

Canepa was in Spain testing with YART Yamaha teammates Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika when he crashed heavily on entry to Valencia’s Turn 10. The airbag in his leathers deployed and prevented injury to his upper body, but a heavy impact on his left ankle left the former endurance World Champion with three fractures in the joint.

After an initial assessment in Valencia, Canepa was transported to the Hospital Universitario Dexeus in Barcelona, where surgeons stabilised the fractures with two plates, in a two-hour surgical procedure that took place on Wednesday evening.

The post-surgery prognosis is good, with Canepa expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 17/18 April, the opening round of the 2021 Endurance World Championship season.

Niccolò Canepa: Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team

“We were out in Spain doing a block of testing ahead of the new season. On Tuesday morning in Valencia, I was maybe pushing a little too much on a track that was still a bit dirty, and I had a huge highside on the entry to Turn 10, probably the biggest I’ve ever had. The airbag in my leathers worked perfectly, but I took a big impact on my left ankle and sustained three fractures. After an initial examination in Valencia, I travelled up to the Hospital Universitario Dexeus in Barcelona, where doctors inserted two plates to stabilise the fractures in an operation last night. The fractures were not so easy to plate but the doctors were very happy with the result and are confident that I’ll make a full recovery. Once the pain goes away in the next week or so then I’ll be able to start the rehabilitation process with some physiotherapy. I’m confident I’ll be fully fit for the first race of the 2021 season at Le Mans in April and I can’t wait to be back on the bike.”