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Villopoto SX Crash
After breaking his lower leg in a brutal crash at Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis Saturday, Ryan Villopoto’s title hopes for the 2010 Monster Energy Supercross Championship are gone.
The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider was the only one with a chance at beating series’ leader Ryan Dungey for the championship. Dungey, a Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider, now has a 36-point lead with three rounds remaining.
The accident occurred in the rhythm section on lap 11. Villopoto under-jumped, letting go of the bike. The Kawasaki’s front tire smashed into the missed jump, and quickly somersaulted, hitting Villopoto on the way. He landed hard on his left leg/hip, as his bike continued to flip off the track. Medical workers cut Villopoto’s boot off, and he was escorted off the track.
"It got really hectic out there tonight…It’s unfortunate that Ryan (Villopoto) crashed," Dungey said after the race. "I hope he is OK."
And this wasn’t Villopoto’s first crash in St. Louis. He also went down while attempting to make a pass on Dungey during lap 9. Villopoto ran into Dungey, and both of them went down. But it was the crash two laps later that would destroy Villopoto’s chance at the championship.
Tweeter postings are stating that Villopoto may have broken his ankle also, but nothing has been officially released. Kawasaki Racing said Villopoto will undergo surgery, and they are expected to make an official announcement about his condition by the end of the week.
