SBK, Surgery for Van der Mark after violent highside at Assen

After fracturing his left femur in a violent highside on Sunday afternoon in Race 2 in Assen, Michael van der Mark’s surgery at the Groningen University Medical Center was successful. It was the worst way the BMW rider – who until then had a13th place in Race 1 and a 10th in the Superpole Race – could end his weekend.

According to the Dutch newspaper, Racesport.nl, after a first visit at the TT Circuit medical center, the 30-year-old rider from Gouda was transferred to the Wilhelmina hospital in Assen (where they assessed that surgery was required for his fracture), then to the Groningen UMC, where he underwent surgery late Sunday evening. This morning, the doctors announced that the surgery performed on the open but clean fracture was successful. 

Van der Mark only fractured his femur and didn’t sustain any other significant injury, but it’s still too early to establish how long it will take for him to recover. The Dutch rider injured himself in the same manner last year at Estoril and returned after four rounds.