Gresini Honda's Marco Melandri withdrew from the Brno event early. Ironically, it was a shoulder injury rather than the dislocated foot he suffered at Laguna Seca that put him out.

"I'’m very sorry to give up on this race. I really wanted to try qualifying but the pain was too much," said Melandri in a statement released by his team. "The movement on my helmet while braking put pressure on the compressed nerve and sent too much pain down my left arm. Riding like that would be dangerous for myself – and the others. Now I’ll get ready for Misano.”