Ben Spies has revealed that a 'broken swingarm' was to blame for his accident in Sunday's US MotoGP at𝔉 Laguna Seca.

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 Crutchl🌜ow - until he was flicked off his Factory Yamaha on the exit of the Corkscrew with ten laps to go (pictured).

The swingarm was clearly colla🌌psed 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 Tw🐷itter (@BenSpies11): "Sorry for the boys had a solid 4th wrapped up till the swingarm decided to break... When it rains it pours!"

The #11 later gave further details: "I was feeling really good, I didn't have the grip that I had in the earlier ℱsessions with the harder tyre but in the last ten laps I was starting to pull away and I had a little left up myꦓ 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 just 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 v🤡ery well today and was pulling away from Dovi when he crashed. This is another part of his bad s⭕eason, hopefully from Indy onwards we won't have any more bad luck," said team director Massimo Meregalli.