Ben Spies has revealed that a 'broken swingarm' was to blame for his accident in Sunday's US MꦓotoGP at Laguna Se♛ca.

Riding with an injured heel after a heavy qualifying fall, the Texan held fourth place for much of the race - despite near constant▨ pressure from Tech 3 Yamaha riders Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow - until he ꧒was flicked off his Factory Yamaha on the exit of the Corkscrew with ten laps to go (pictured).

The swingarm was clearly collapsed after the accident and 🏅Spies has now confirmed that it was the reason for his fall - rather than being damaged in the aftermath.

Spies wrote on Twitter (@BenSpies11): "Sorry for the boys had a solid 4th wr🌊apped up till the swingarm decided to break... When it rains it pours!"

The #11 lat🉐er gave further details: "I was feeling really good, I didn't have the grip that I had in the earlier sessions with the harder tyre but in the last ten laps I was starting to pull away and I had a little left up my sleeve.

"We started to stretch out a lead over Dovi then all of a sudden at the bottom of the corkscrew the bike went out from underneath me. I had no control, it didn't slide or anything jusꦗt completely went.

"At first I thought 🍰I'd hit a bump but there isn't one there. It's nobody's fault but it's more bad luck."

Fourth would have matched Spies' best result of a season littered with race day incidents. Spies, just tenth in the championship, will leave Yamaha at the end of this 🎃year.

"Ben was riding very well today and was pulling away from Dovi when he crashed. This is another part of his ⛎bad season, hopefully from Indy onwards we won't have any more bad luck," said team director Massimo Meregalli.