Alphand injures spine

[MOTV8]

Luc Alphand, our frenchie Corvette team leader, has had an accident...

Alphand injured in motorbike crash

By Matt Beer Monday, June 29th 2009, 13:56 GMT

Sportscar owner-driver, Dakar rally frontrunner, and former skiing star Luc Alphand has suffered severe back injuries in a motorcycle accident.

Alphand, whose Luc Alphand Aventures squad runs Corvettes in the FIA GT Championship, the Le Mans Series and in the Le Mans 24 Hours, crashed during the Rand'Auvergne motorbike rally yesterday.

The 43-year-old's manager Philippe Poincioux said the recovery process would be slow but that there should not be permanent damage.

"From what I understand Luc did not lose consciousness," Poincioux told the AFP news agency.

"There is no danger of brain damage. We think that he fractured his spine.

"Mentally it's a big blow for him knowing that he will be unable to move for some time. He is really down even though he knows he has been lucky it was not worse. He is in great physical shape and that will help recovery."

Alphand switched to motorsport after the end of his skiing career. In addition to contesting full sportscar seasons with his own team, he is also part of Mitsubishi's Dakar Rally programme, and won the famous event outright in 2006.

Alphand's managers, GPS Performance, said in a statement Monday that Alphand had an operation on a damaged spinal column in the southern French city of Clermont-Ferrand.

He was taken to hospital by helicopter after the accident during the Rand'Auvergne all-terrain motorcycle race on Sunday.

May be time to take it little easier on the adrenaline-junkie stuff there Luc....

[Desertdawg]

Is that like M Jackson planning a world tour and then.... never mind!

Dude needs to get his prioritys in order, if you want to drive the vette don't fall of the bike!!!