2006 MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden has been taken to hospital after a 'serious' road acc🍨ident in Italy.

According to the popular 35-year-old Ame🐓rican, currently competing in his second season of World Superbike with Ten Kate Honda, was struck by a car while training on his bicycle.

Pictures show sub𒀰stantial damage to the front windscreen of the Peugeot, with Hayden said to have beenඣ treated at the scene for severe chest and head trauma before being transported to hospital.

UPDATE: reports that Nicky Hayden has now been moved from hospital in Rimini to Bufalini Hospital in 🔥Cesena an𝓰d remains in a serious condition.

UPDATE: Tweets from Nicky Hayden's Honda Worl﷽d Superbike team following this afternoon's road accౠident in Italy:

Thank you to all Nicky's fans for your support after his accident. He's receiving medical attention in Italy, and we must now be patient...-- Hond🦄a WSBK (@HondaWSBK)

... The medical teams are working hard, and we will provide updates as soon as they are available👍-- Honda WSBK (@HondaWSBK)

UPDATE: Dorna states possible surgery for Nicky Hayden. There is still no official word on the American's condition and, as is often the case with head trauma, it may take some time for doctors to understand the extent of his injuries:

Update as of 20:00 CETꦫ: Nicky 🔯was taken to the Cesena hospital for further treatment and possible surgery.-- MotoGP(TM) (@MotoGP)

UPDATE: The Cesena hospital reports that Nicky Hayden remains in a serious condition and has been moved to intensive care.

UPDATE: Statement issued by the Cesena hospital on Thursday 🌌morning: "There are no substantial changes... Nicky Hayden remains hospitalised in the intensive care unit, the clinical picture remains extremely serious.💃"

UPDATE: Statement fr🎐om Nicky Hayden's Ten Kate Honda Team:

"Red Bull Honda World Su𒐪perbike Team rider Nicky Hayden was involved in an incident while cycling 🍸near Rimini, Italy yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, 17th May)

"Following the incident, Nicky was treated on site by medical staff and then taken by ambulance to a hospital near Rimini for immediate treatment. Once Nicky's condition 🤡was stabilised, he was transferred to Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena and remains in the hospital's intensive care unit.

"Members of Nicky's team and his fianc? are with him in the hospital🉐.

"We would like to thank everyone for their kind wishes and messages of support and the as✃sistance of emergency a🐷nd medical services. Once an official statement regarding Nicky's condition is released by the hospital or Nicky's family, a further update from the team will be issued."

All our thoughts are with Nicky's family and friends: