Italian Michel Fabrizio won his first podium in race one for Xerox Ducati despite a big start-line collision that ripped off his boot.

The 24-year old qualified well, but had a difficult start to the first of Sunday's two races after failing to leave the start line. He was clipped, first, by David Checa's GMT Yamaha and then by Vittorio Iannuzzo on the Pedercini Kawasaki.

Fabrizio's right boot was ripped off and the Ducati's rear wheel smashed, leaving the Roman with muscular contusions to his right calf. But, although in pain, he returned to the grid for the restart.

After a less than perfect start, Fabrizio soon moved up from eighth place to fourth and, after a battle with Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus, was able to take third place and his first podium with the Xerox Ducati.

"I'm sorry for what happened this morning on the grid, but the bike failed to leave the start line and that caused an accident,” Michel said later, “The blow to my leg from the impact from David Checa's bike meant that, of course, my leg was hurting a lot during the restarted race, but I gritted my teeth and did what I had to do.”

Unfortunately, in race two, a jump start for Fabrizio meant a ride-through penalty, leaving him unable to catch up and settling for an eventual 19th place finish.

“I realised straight away that I'd jumped the start,” he said, “but, unfortunately, after the ride-through penalty, I wasn't able to catch the others. A big thank-you goes to my team today as they had to completely rebuild my bike between the two races, literally from the frame, so I'm very grateful to them."

The results leave Fabrizio eighth overall in the series standings, but his first podium for Ducati and good speed from the weekend can be carried into the next round in Spain.