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MotoGP: Elias breaks leg

Release date: 28 June 2007

Elias out until August

Toni Elias has suffered a broken femur following an accident during Thursday's free practice ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix on Saturday.

The fall came in cold conditions as Elias approached the final chicane of the Assen circuit and is a continuation of the young Spaniard's bad luck at the Dutch TT.

The 24 year-old is yet to compete at Assen on a MotoGP bike despite this being his third visit. In 2005 he missed the meeting entirely after breaking his hand at the French GP and last year a spill in Thursday's free practice left him with a damaged shoulder and unable to compete.

Melandri: "The whole squad is working hard."
Gresini Honda is yet to confirm who will replace Elias, who has been taken to Assen hospital, but initial reports suggest he may be out until the Czech Grand Prix in August.

Elias' team-mate Marco Melandri also had a difficult race in 2006 and is expecting another tricky outing this weekend.

"Last year was a really tough race for me," said Melandri. "It was only a short time after that terrible crash in Barcelona and I was still suffering.

"This time the situation is completely different but we are also going through something of a difficult period. The whole squad is working really hard but we still have a lot to do."

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