“The feeling is very good right now”

Mentally, how are you imagining your return to the bike?

“On the mental side, I try to imagine the best comeback. That doesn’t mean to arrive and win the first race, it means to arrive and ride the MotoGP like I want, try to enjoy it and go step by step to go back to the same level I had and ride the bike in the same style. It’s true that this will be a process and we will see if this process is quick or slow. Anyway, I feel better every day and that is the most important thing. Now at the gym I feel the right arm being physically equal to the left arm, which is important too, and I’m looking forward to riding the bike.”

How are you feeling with your right arm? What things couldn’t you do and now you can start doing them again?

“My right arm now starts to feel like a normal arm. One month ago, it was difficult to even take a shower, opening a door or to eat with the right arm. When the doctor said that I was able to use my right arm again, it’s also a mental fight against yourself and your confidence, because it had been a long time since I used it for the last time. This was a nice procedure, because it was the first time in my life that I had this kind of feeling, but this were the first two weeks. Then, step by step, you feel that you can shower much better, you can work in the gym, you have more power on your arm and less pain.”

What can you tell us about your schedule from now until you ride the bike again?

“I still don’t know, I feel like I can ride again soon, but I have a doctor check this week. Then we will see if he says it’s okay and if the muscles are in good shape, but you never know in rehabilitation process. Anyway, we are going in a good way and day by day. Two weeks ago I said week by week, but now it’s day by day. First of all, I will not ride a MotoGP straight away, maybe I will start with a small bike and sometimes train in a small circuit.”

Can you tell us how is a day in your life right now?

“In the last month, the days have been exactly the same. I get up at 8 o’clock and I have the first physio-gym combined session from 9 to 11. From 11:30 to 1:30 PM, I have my training session, which can be running, cycling or something else. Then, in the afternoon from 4 PM to 6 PM, I have the second physio-gym session. From 7 PM to 9 PM I have free time and by 10 PM I’m already in bed because I have no energy left.”

In these last three days, the first MotoGP test was held in Qatar and you couldn’t be there. How do you feel about that?

“When you realize that you will not start the pre-season in a good way and you will not be able to try the new things that Honda bring after working a lot during the winter, it’s something strange. Anyway, I know that they are working very hard with Stefan Bradl, Pol, my brother Alex and Nakagami to try new items to improve the performance of the bike. I know that they are waiting for me and I will try to be there as soon as possible. I can only say that I’m looking forward to riding the bike again.”