Rossi getting up to speed
The 31-year-old Fiat Yamaha rider finished fourth at the twisty Sachsenring circuit just six weeks after suffering a compound fracture of his right shin during practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. The nine-time world champion was widely expected to be on the sidelines for up to five months, but he confounded medical opinion to come within a few hundred yards of a podium finish.
"I was so happy to be back in Sachsenring and to be fighting for the podium, even though I just missed out, was more than we could have hoped for," he said. "I still have some pain in my leg but I am growing stronger every day."