Hopkins to undergo further checks

Hopkins, who suffered ankle and knee injuries when he fell at high-speed at Ramschoek corner during qualifying for the Dutch TT today, will be flown back to the United States tomorrow, where he will be examined by Dr Art Ting.

The initial indications from the Clinica Mobile at Assen suggested that Hopkins would be sidelined for between 20 and 25 days - meaning he would definitely miss the Sachsenring race and possibly also his home event at Laguna Seca a week later.

But Kawasaki boss Michael Bartholemy says the team want to get a full picture of his condition before deciding whether to recruit a subsitute for the Sachsenring.

Early reports indicated that he had multiple fractures in his ankle and tibia, but Hopkins is now believed to have suffered an ankle fructure and a compression injury to his left knee.

"John's crash may affect the next two races, which is a real disappointment," Bartholemy said.

"John will now return to America for treatment and we'll make a decision on Sachsenring once we know the extent of his injuries."

Bartholemy also confirmed that Hopkins sustained the injuries when he hit the barriers. He was able to extricate himself from his bike as it ploughed through the gravel, but his body continued moving at speed until being stopped by the tyre wall.

"The injuries to his ankle were not caused by the fall itself, but the collision with the unprotected wall on the outside of Turn 12," said Bartholemy.