McPhee in horror Moto3 crashposted in OTHER23 | 10 | 2016

    OBAN’S JOHN McPHEE, who earlier this season won his maiden Moto3 Grand Prix in the Czech Republic, suffered a horrific crash in the latest round of the championship in Australia.

    The 22-year-old Peugeot MX Saxoprint rider, who started the race from seventh on the grid, had eased himself into third place over the opening laps of the 23-lap race.

    But on lap six, having just set his quickest race lap on the Phillip Island track near Melbourne and pushing for second place, the Scot’s front tyre suddenly lost grip as he exited the left-handed, blind section of Lukey Heights.

    As the bike collapsed on its left-hand side, McPhee slid face down across the track. Unable to take avoiding action, one of the bikes following immediately behind delivered a glancing blow to the Scot’s crash helmet.

    The impact immediately rendered McPhee unconscious as he continued to slide downhill across the track, before tumbling three or four times and coming to rest motionless on the grass close to his destroyed bike.

    Fellow riders Enea Bastianini and Andrea Migno, the two immediately behind McPhee when he slid off, also came off their bikes as a result his crash.

    McPhee-with--Albert-Arenas.jpg

    While concerned rivals immediately rushed to the Scot’s aid, others waved frantically to emergency staff.

    Race organisers instantly red-flagged the race, allowing medics and an ambulance to attend the scene.

    After being stabilised and regaining consciousness, McPhee was stretchered to the circuit medical centre before being transferred to Melbourne hospital for further checks.

    Miraculously the Scot, who spent time in a neck brace following his concussion, escaped the nightmare crash with ‘only’ a broken thumb.

    McPhee — backed by the Racing Steps Foundation —was due to fly back to the UK today before undergoing surgery on his damaged thumb and will miss next weekend’s round in Malaysia.

    When the race restarted — with only 24 of the 34 riders on the original starting grid — following a 20-minute delay, championship winner Brad Binder took victory. The South African finished just 0.017secs ahead of Leopard Racing/KTM’s Italian rider Andrea Locatelli.

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    Jim McGill

    Caption: John McPhee with Mahindra Moto3 team-mate, Spaniard Albert Arenas (https://twitter.com/AlbertArenas11)

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