Rossi injured in motocross accident

(Reuters) – Italian MotoGP star Valentino Rossi was hospitalized in Italy after he was involved in a motocross accident on Thursday, his Yamaha team said in a statement. They said the 38-year-old driver, a nine-time world champion and currently third in the top class, was diagnosed with “mild chest and abdominal trauma” during a hospital examination following the training accident in eastern Italy. “No fractures were detected in any part of the body and no serious traumatic pathologies were detected,” the team added. Rossi’s home Grand Prix in Mugello is the next round of the MotoGP championship on June 4th. Another medical bulletin will be issued on Friday, the team said. Rossi had led the championship until last weekend’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans, where he crashed on the final lap while battling for victory with his Spanish teammate Maverick Vinales. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Greg Stutchbury)