Enea Bastianini: “A chicken ruined my German MotoGP weekend!”

Enea Bastianini has set the record straight on his surprise absence from last weekend’s German MotoGP.

Although reported as appendicitis, the Tech3 KTM rider has now revealed that severe food poisoning saw him briefly hospitalised.

"I'm more or less fine now,” GPOne.com reports Bastianini as saying on Thursday at Brno.

“It was very complicated because in the end, after many tests, I discovered that I had contracted a bacteria called campylobacter from eating chicken. A chicken ruined my weekend!” he laughed.

The illness was so intense that doctors initially suspected appendicitis. “I had a lot of inflammation, but then the tests ruled it out.”

Although Bastianini is back this weekend, he’s far from 100% fit. The Italian lost over three kilograms during his illness and went three days without eating or drinking.

“In MotoGP, you have to be 100% and I don't think I am,” he admitted. “I tried to train a bit before coming here, even yesterday. Overall I'm fine, but I'm not close to my peak form.

“Sunday's race will probably be the hardest part. The biggest problem is the weight loss. I did a kind of reset.”

Despite his condition, Bastianini remains optimistic: “I'm confident I can have a good weekend. It's good to start and not waste energy straight away, but save it for Saturday and Sunday. 

"I don't know how my body will react, but I think I can do the whole Grand Prix.”

While Bastianini returns to action at Brno, team-mate Maverick Viñales will sit out the round due to a shoulder injury from Sachsenring, with KTM test rider Pol Espargaro stepping in as a replacement.