Trials ace Vittorio Brumotti faces eye operation after mass punch-up (+ video)

Vittorio Brumotti, star of videos including Road Bike Freestyle, will undergo an operation on his right eye in the coming days after he was involved in a punch-up while riding in his home region of Liguria.

The 35-year-old trials rider, as well as his father Claudio and two friends, are among seven people reported to police yesterday following a fight that also involved three Albanians resident in Italy.

According to a report by La Stampa, the set-to had its origins in the slow speed that a support car following Brumotti and his father was travelling at as they rode their bikes.

• Video: Vittorio Brumotti back doing top-notch road bike stunts

The three Albanians involved, all of whom also required hospital treatment, are said to have reported the incident at a Carabinieri barracks in Borghetto, accompanied by a lawyer, to give their version of events.

This video shows Brumotti and his companions in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

According to Italian press reports, the fact that the three men involved in the fight with Brumotti and his companions were from Albania led to racist comments being made online.

In response, Brumotti appealed to his followers on social media such as Twitter not to give way to xenophobic prejudices.