Source: Supplied.

A crash during race two at Ottobiano’s 11th round of the MXGP World Championship forced Australian Todd Waters (Honda HRC) to premturely retire from the 19-lap affair in Italy.

Waters, who returned to racing from a collarbone injury at the weekend, charged to 20th position in the opening race, while his DNF in the final outing credited him 22nd overall for the round.

The Queenslander fell while charging through the roller section, however increasing pain upon rebounding after catching his leg on the bike ultimately decided his fate in the moto.

“I fell off the back of the bike through the rollers in race two and caught the bike on the inside of my leg,” Waters explained. “I picked the bike up and everyone went past, so I tried to continue but I couldn’t ride the way I wanted and the pain was there and increasing, and since I wasn’t fast enough to come through the pack I opted for an early retirement.

“Until then it wasn’t too bad, I felt good on the bike and I was riding much better, I just crashed. I lost a lot of strength in my upper body due to the injury and that made me struggle throughout the races – and generally speaking I’m nowhere as fit as the other riders, who have done winter testing and half a season more than me.”

Waters has two weeks to rest and recover before the MXGP World Championship heads to Pangkal Pinang in Indonesia 1 July.