MotoGP riders must take risks when training - Dovizioso

Rossi spent a night in hospital one week before last weekend's Mugello race, after crashing a motocross landing and sustaining mild thoracic and abdominal trauma.

Jack Miller, fracturing the tibia and fibula in his right leg, and Alex Rins, a partial fracture in his right ankle, have also picked up motocross training injuries in the last 17 months.

However Dovizioso believes riders have to push their limits while training to have any chance of replicating what they will experience on-track in MotoGP.

“It’s always the same story, when somebody gets hurt, a lot of people complain because they took a risk in a different sport,” the Ducati rider said when asked about Rossi’s injury. “But I don’t agree about that.

“For sure, everybody has to try to manage the training in the best way, but everybody has to remember we play with the limit every time [in MotoGP]. 

“To try to be able to play with the limit and try to manage it, you have to train in that way and unfortunately you can’t train a lot on a MotoGP bike so you have to try a different sport to try to train in a similar way. 

“Some are focused on motocross, other riders on different sports. I think it’s important to do a lot of sports and training, have fun but training in a smart way. And everybody takes a risk.

"You can’t just stay at home and train in the gym and go racing. I don’t think that’s the best way to be in MotoGP. Everybody has to take a risk, everybody has to train and sometimes that can happen.”

Smith: Teams must trust riders

KTM rider Bradley Smith missed three races in 2016 after injuring his right knee while contesting the Oschersleben 8 Hours with Yamaha. 

In the wake of 2006 MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden’s death as a result of a collision with a car while cycling, Smith feels riders should be trusted to make their own calls on training.

“I think everyone has been injured in every sort of sport going,” he said. “Guys have been injured mountain-biking, dirt-track, motocross and on the track itself. 

“Nicky’s situation happened like it did - what are you going to do? 

“It is the team’s decision. If they want to wrap the riders in cotton wool then go ahead and do it. At the end of the day I always trust professionals to make a professional decision as much as possible.

“Someone like Valentino has been around for so many years so if he wants to ride motocross then let him ride. It is down to him to learn whether it was a mistake or just life in general.”