Valentino Rossi To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

Valentino Rossi,
considered by many to be among the greatest competitive riders of
all time, will undergo shoulder surgery once the season ends, in
order to repair an injury that has been bothering him since a fall
in April.
Coming off back-to-back world championships, Rossi has been
hampered by injuries this season, and is currently sitting in 4th
place in the point standings. At a promotional event in Italy, Sky
Italia TV overheard Rossi telling a colleague that "in the end the
problem is the shoulder. At the end of the year I'll have it
operated on."
With seven MotoGP championship wins, many considered Rossi to be
the heavy favorite going into the 2010 season. But a broken leg in
June forced the rider to miss four races, ending any hope of an
eighth title and allowing his Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo to
establish a massive lead. Despite this setback, he has raced well
since his return, although he has complained of lingering soreness
in the shoulder and hasn't won since the opening race.
The surgery could come at a critical time for Rossi. The winter is
generally considered to be an important training time, and Rossi
could miss out on some practice. In addition, Rossi will change
teams at the end of this year, leaving Yamaha for Ducati.