MOTOGP: Pedrosa Faces Pivotal Fitness Test

Dani Pedrosa's title hopes will either receive a massive boost or a devastating blow on Sunday morning in Germany.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: The German GP from Sachsenring, Germany will air LIVE on SPEED on Sunday, July 14th in a two-hour programming block that starts at 7:00am ET. #MotoGPonSPEED Dani Pedrosa faces a race morning fitness check in a bid to capitalize on the misfortune of his main MotoGP championship rival Jorge Lorenzo. While Pedrosa hopes to be cleared to take his place on the grid for Sunday's German Grand Prix it will be Lorenzo who is forced into the role of spectator. Lorenzo is in Barcelona recovering from his second major surgery in two weeks with a new steel plate and ten screws now fixed to his broken left collarbone. Lorenzo has also required a bone graft as part of his treatment and remains extremely doubtful for next week's US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. His absence is a golden chance for Pedrosa to extend his nine-point championship lead and capitalize on Lorenzo's misfortune. But Pedrosa faces his own injury woes and he has been warned of the consequences of further damage to his left collarbone. If he is cleared to race tomorrow in Germany Pedrosa will ride with a small fracture in his collarbone suffered in heart-stopping highside in Turn 1 during Saturday morning's free practice session. Cleared of concussion after a dizzy spell Pedrosa will wait to see how he feels on Sunday morning and present himself for medical clearance. But Dr Enric Caceres who treated Pedrosa in the Sachsenring gave this warning: "The collarbone does not have a full fracture. We could see an old fracture that is perfect but he has a new one that is not complete. "If he were to have a new fall it is possible the collarbone fractures completely, becomes displaced and requires surgery.Normally a collarbone fracture heals in four weeks. "The problem he has now will be the same for Laguna Seca. The risk for displacement is the same if he falls tomorrow or if he falls in Laguna Seca. The collarbone could become displaced but in three weeks it will be fully healed." Pedrosa knows that gaining a crucial mid-season points advantage over Lorenzo will provide a platform for him to finally claim the MotoGP title after many injury setbacks over the past seven seasons. When Pedrosa crashed on Saturday morning Lorenzo was in surgery in Barcelona and already ruled out of the German GP. Now the little Spaniard, who missed qualifying while being treated in Chemnitz hospital, must start from 12th on the grid. Whatever pain and disappointment Lorenzo is feeling following his own dramatic highside in practice on Friday will be eased by Pedrosa's situation.