Vermeulen escapes injury in crash

The Australian landed heavily on his hip - which was still sore from a practice crash at Laguna Seca - when he hit a damp patch late in today's session and was launched into a high-side.

"As I was going across one of the puddles I think I was pushing a bit too hard and had a bit of a slide and crashed," said Vermeulen.

"I landed on the same side that I injured in Laguna so I'm not in the best of condition, but I am sure I'll be fine tomorrow and we'll make some big steps forward."

Suzuki team boss Paul Denning was relieved that his rider escaped any severe injuries.

"The most important thing from today is that Chris wasn't badly injured in his crash, and despite aggravating the injuries from Laguna Seca, there doesn't appear to be anything that will stop him from gritting his teeth and carrying on competing this weekend at Sachsenring," Denning said.

The crash left Vermeulen 16th on the timesheets, while his team-mate Loris Capirossi fared little better in 12th. But Denning believes Suzuki is in better shape than its positions suggest.

"As for Loris, the position isn't great, but he appears to have a good base feeling with the bike," he said. "He didn't follow any other riders to set his times and he has been building step-by-step.

"Most importantly he is very clear on where we can improve on the bike to take some good steps for the weekend. Hopefully some of that information can help Chris out and give him a decent start point tomorrow."