Motorcycling: First female champion Carrasco to miss rest of season after crash

Team Calvo Moto3 rider Ana Carrasco of Spain is seen her garage during the first free practice session of the French Grand Prix in Le Mans circuit, central France May 17, 2013. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Files

Team Calvo Moto3 rider Ana Carrasco of Spain is seen her garage during the first free practice session of the French Grand Prix in Le Mans circuit, central France May 17, 2013. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Files

(Reuters): Spanish rider Ana Carrasco, who in 2018 became the first woman to win a motorcycling world title, will miss the rest of the Supersport 300 season after a crash in Portugal last week.

The 23-year-old Kawasaki rider fractured two vertebrae in the fall during testing at Estoril and will take at least three months to recover from surgery.

"Falls and injuries are part of my job as a rider. For my part, the 2020 season is over and tomorrow I start my "2021 pre-season", she told the World Superbike website http://www.worldsbk.com.

Carrasco was fifth in the World Supersport 300 standings with three rounds remaining.