A crash on the penultimate night of the Bremen Six resulted in a broken vertebra for German track star Andreas Beikirch.
The 38-year-old touched wheels during the first madison of the evening following a change with partner Robert Bartko and hit the boards at speed.
The determined veteran got up and walked away, and wanted to continue racing, but was sent to hospital by the race doctor for an X-ray that confirmed the injury. Initial diagnosis suggested Beikirch had in fact broken three vertebra, but further investigation revealed that the other two had been damaged in another crash 10 years previously - a fact the tough track man was blissfully unaware of!
Beikirch is a former winner of the Bremen event alongside victories in the Dortmund and Bremen Sixes. The unfortunate German had just returned to racing having sustained broken ribs in a car accident last summer.
Nowhere to go: Beikirch?s face tells the story
Down and out: the injured Beikirch receives attention trackside
Zabel: funny guy?
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