headline: Eugene Laverty: World Superbikes rider returns home to Portugal after Phillip Island crash
text: Eugene Laverty has arrived home in Portugal after sustaining pelvic and hip fractures in his final World Superbike race last month.
  Northern Irish rider, 36, sustained a broken hip at Phillip Island, as well as fractures of the sacrum and pelvis. 
  Having been discharged from hospital after four days, Laverty had to return for further treatment after internal bleeding but is now recovering well.
  "I felt more ready to leave hospital the second time around," said Laverty.
  "It took some time for everything to settle down after such a trauma.
  "I've been very fortunate to have my wife Pippa by my side throughout and we're both very happy to return home following an extended period in Australia. 
  "It wasn't the way I wanted to finish my racing career in WorldSBK but I was giving it my everything and that's how it should be.
  "I want to thank WorldSBK race direction for red flagging the race immediately and all the medical staff at Phillip Island for taking such good care of me in the immediate aftermath of the crash. 
  "There is a very good system in place to ensure that fallen riders are looked after and I owe a lot to them."
  Laverty was competing in his final race of a 16-year World Superbike career after announcing in July that he would be taking up a management role with the Bonovo BMW racing team, becoming a co-owner.
  He was runner-up in the 2013 World Superbike Championship and his career also included racing for BMW Motorrad for three seasons and a two-year stint in MotoGP.
  He won 13 races, finished on the podium 35 times and was twice runner-up in the World Supersport Championship.