Rutter raced with broken collarbone!

Ryuichi Kiyonari and Gregorio Lavilla may have taken the victories at Snetterton on Sunday - but the real hero was Michael Rutter, who defied a broken collarbone to race on and increase his lead in the BSB title stakes.

The HM Plant Honda rider had crashed heavily, and spectacularly (pictured), at Russells during qualifying taking a severe battering, having been thrown high over the top of his bike, but it was not until after the two races at the Norfolk circuit that he disclosed the extent of his injuries.

"I broke one collarbone and think that the other has been pushed out a bit," revealed Rutter, after taking fifth and third placings. "It's been a hard weekend - I had a bit of crash that left me sore and beat up and then in the first race had a problem with the quick shift gear change.

"It is not easy to ride this circuit without that working - I was disappointed not to finish on the podium in the first race, and but did my best. In the second I was backing into the corners a bit too much, riding a bit too rigid, maybe trying too hard, but I can't complain," said Rutter who increased his lead over Kiyonari to 45 points.

The Japanese rider, who had taken the first race by eight seconds from Leon Haslam aboard the Airwaves Ducati, crashed out of the second race, in which the determined Lavilla overcame both Rutter and Michael Laverty, riding the Stobart Honda, to take his third victory of the season and avenge his first race crash.