Rins reveals injury was caused by mobile phone distraction

[June 18, 2021]    (Reuters) - Suzuki's Spanish MotoGP rider Alex Rins revealed on Thursday the injury that ruled him out of his home Catalan grand prix this month was caused by riding his bicycle into a van while messaging on a mobile phone.

Team Suzuki Ecstar's Alex Rins celebrates after finishing second REUTERS/Sergio Perez

"Normally I'm not playing with the mobile when I'm on my bicycle unless I'm writing an important message," the 25-year-old told reporters at the Sachsenring after being cleared to return at Sunday's German Grand Prix.

"It's hard, undoubtedly. But I prefer to ride into a van, as happened, than to hit another person. Imagine if there had been people there and not the van, that would have been even worse."

Rins, team mate to world champion Joan Mir, required surgery after fracturing his wrist in the June 4 accident at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.

He said he was not 100% but able to ride in Friday's practice.

"I'm feeling pain but it's OK," he said.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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