BMW's Marco Melandri left Portugal after being told he had done nothing worse than badly bruise himself in the crash which ended his Portugese race weekend but has since discovered he has cracked two ribs.

The Italian underwent further checks in his native country and doctors found he has cracked the tenth and 12th ribs but they are not linked to the sternum and aren't vital in the process of breathing. He will be taped up for the Magny-Cours round to minimise the discomfort.

"After Sunday’s crash I feel better day by day although my back and right side still feel sore. When I watched my crash on TV, it really looked confusing. I do not want people to think that I wasted the races for nothing," said Melandri.

"Actually when I was on the bike, it was simply impossible for me to do any different, as I did not see Max. I really hope to be fit for the final races in Magny-Cours. I simply want to jump on my S1000RR, have some fun and finish the races in the best possible way and position.”