Moto GP: Rossi Is Back On The Bike
On the 5th of June, in Mugello, FIAT Yamaha rider and the defending champion, Valentino Rossi crashed and broke his leg, which put his title defense in doubts. He missed four GPs as he went for the operation on his leg.
Also, before this horrific crash, Rossi was suffering from a pre-season shoulder injury, which was hampering his performance in this year’s championships. Despite this injury, he still managed to stay close in the points table, behind Jorge Lorenzo. Although, Lorenzo is enjoying the top spot with a lead of more than 100 points, which he managed to achieve in the absence of Valentino by winning three GPs in a row, still Rossi is being missed on the track. The possible return of the Italian was initially scheduled on the 15th of August, during the Czech GP.
But, it was a ray of light for the Rossi camp as he was able to get himself up, and rode his beloved bike on the 7th of July, for the first time since his crash. Valentino Rossi was present in Misano on his YZF-R1 WSB Machine, provided by the Yamaha Superbike team. Rossi remained on the track for 26 laps and recorded a best time of 1 minute and 38 seconds. A ray of optimism ran through the Rossi camp, as he was able to overcome the pain and injury while completing the run in good condition.
However, it is still unsure whether Rossi would return for the next race to be scheduled during next weekend in Sachsenring, Germany. After the test run at Misano, Rossi claimed that he did feel a level of pain in his ankle, his knee and shoulder. But, Rossi was also optimistic and confident about his return, as the rehabilitation process was going better than the initial prediction.
Despite this successful test run by Valentino Rossi, the FIAT Yamaha team manager, Davide Brivio remained cautious during the post-test press conference. He claimed that the leg injury was healing pretty well, but he showed his concerns for the shoulder pain of the current World Champion. However, he believed that if Rossi showed good progress during the rehabilitation exercises during the next week, it would be possible that he would make his return in the German Grand Prix in Sachsenring.
The real problem in Rossi’s return though, would be that the bike would not be available to him for another test, as the bike would be in Brno for the Superbike race. So, Rossi would have to come directly to Sachsenring for the race, without any other test run. Therefore, he would be back only if his team management and physiotherapists are completely sure that riding the bike would not prolong his injuries. That is why the training during the next week is really important for the Italian, as he would have to completely satisfy concerned people, if he needs to make a return well before time.
One thing is for sure, that MotoGP racing is not the race of bikes and speed. It requires a lot of physical and mental strength from the riders, as it squeezes a lot of energy out of them. Thus, the pains that are hurting Valentino Rossi at this time would hamper his chances of winning anything, even if he returns ahead of the scheduled time. On the other hand, any other unfortunate incident at his return would sideline him for a longer period, which would be in the mind of the Italian for sure.
Whether Rossi returns or not, it was really good watching him get back on his bike. There is no doubt that Rossi is meant for the sport, as he has proven his worth nine times. This was obvious, as Rossi seemed to enjoy every moment of his return after almost a month. It was clear that he did not like the way he was sidelined for such a long period, as his bike is where he belongs. Thus, he did his best during the test laps, and made good time. Although, this was not a test of speed, as Superbikes are not modified for high speeds, the time Rossi put on the clock was an encouraging sight. Let us hope that we see the MotoGP legend back on track, as the season has been unexciting during his absence.
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