Image: Russell Colvin.

Queensland’s John Lytras revealed he is managing a fractured talus bone this weekend at Phillip Island, the current Australian Supersport champion lining-up determined to score vital points towards his title defence.

Last year, the 18-year-old delivered a breakout season on his way to securing the national 600 crown, and was building through the 2023 pre-season this season before he suffered a fall at over 250kph entering Doohan corner.

The accident happened at the Hartwell Club Championship round at Phillip Island earlier this month, and also saw Lytras with burns to his hand. Keeping his injuries relatively low-key, Lytras is admittedly riding with some discomfort but is not planning on using it as an excuse.

“I ended up fracturing the talus bone at the bottom of my ankle, you know it’s not a bad break or anything like that, it’s just a break that has stayed together,” Lytras explained to CycleOnline.

“I spent about two weeks or so in a boot, I should still be in a moon boot, so look, it’s alright, it’s okay to walk around on and things like that but it’s definitely a little bit difficult the riding way, it’s pretty painful in the way it’s flexed when I’m riding and things like that and the weight I have got to push through it.

‘With all of that stuff, it’s not a majorly bad injury and should definitely be 100 percent by the creek [Sydney Motorsport Park]. I’d say I’m about 60-70 percent at the moment, health-wise, but by the creek I think we will be 100 percent good to go.”

Qualifying for the opening round of the Australian Supersport Championship took place today at Phillip Island, with Lytras to start this weekend’s three races from the third row of the grid in P9.