Marc Marquez Receives Go Ahead To Start Training On Motorcycles - Could He Ride At The Misano Test?
Submitted by David Emmett on
Marc Marquez' recovery from the fourth operation on his right arm is proceeding very well. In a press release issued after Marquez had undergone a CT scan and X-rays at a hospital in Madrid, Dr. Sanchez Sotelo, the surgeon who performed the fourth operation, said that the bone had now joined and was growing together correctly. The operation had cut the bone and rotated it, after it had grown back rotated at 30° after previous surgeries.
With the bone now joined and capable of bearing weight, Marquez has been cleared to intensify his training and start using bigger weights. He has also been cleared to start riding motorcycles again.
This is a very positive sign that Marquez will be able to return to competition and be close to full fitness at the start of 2022. Speaking to the media at the Red Bull Ring, Marquez said his aim was to start racing again as soon as he felt fit enough. "When I will feel 70%-80%, when I will feel that I can ride a MotoGP bike in a more or less good way, I will come back," he told us. "The last part of their rehabilitation, the best way is be on the bike. You cannot wait to be 100% before to ride a bike. So, it's still everything to decide but we are taking care about all these things."
Marquez refused to name a target date for a return. "It's true that my intention is make some races this year. I mean, next week I will have the answer. Next week I will have the answer if it will be possible or not." The all clear from the doctors means that Marquez will race this year, the most likely scenario being that he races at Sepang and Valencia, in preparation for the Valencia test in November and the Sepang test in February next year.
Asked if he would come back and ride at the Misano test, scheduled for the Tuesday and Wednesday after the MotoGP round at Misano, Marquez denied it. "I don't think so. I mean it's too tight, but next week I will have a doctor check," he said.
But in a special for Spanish streaming service Dazn, Alberto Puig said that HRC were considering allowing Marc Marquez to ride at the Misano test. The rationale behind that was that it would allow him to give vital feedback on the first 2023 prototype of the Honda RC213V. Puig pointed out that a test is a very different environment to a race. There is much less stress, and Marquez could do a few short runs spread over two days, rather than the high-pressure environment of practice, qualifying, and race which participating in a MotoGP weekend entails.
This is not unthinkable. Marquez spent over 90 minutes meeting with Puig and other senior HRC management at the Red Bull Ring, discussing the future of the project. Participation in the test would also have been a topic. If Marquez does take part, it is unlikely he will be present at the race, but more likely he will fly in unobtrusively on the Monday night or Tuesday morning in anticipation of the test.
On the other hand, he may also feel it is better to wait until the Valencia test, which will be far more important, as it will provide the feedback HRC engineers will use to work on the 2023 bike over the winter, in preparation for the test.
The press release from the Repsol Honda team appears below:
Marc Marquez cleared for further training
Following his latest medical check, Marc Marquez has been given the green light to intensify his training and assess the condition of his arm on a motorcycle.
Marc Marquez has completed another successful medical check at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid. His trusted medical team, consisting of Dr. Joaquin Sánchez Sotelo, Dr. Samuel Antuña and Dr. Angel Cotorro were all pleased with the healing and recovery of the right humerus.
The medical team have given Marquez approval to intensify his training, adding more weight and introducing more varied exercises into his routine. Alongside this, it has also been agreed for the eight-time World Champion to start training on motorcycles to understand the condition of his right arm with further context.
From the findings of this outing, Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team will assess the following steps needed.
Dr. Sanchez Sotelo
MD PhD, Chair of the Division of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Mayo Clinic.
“Today, I had the opportunity to evaluate Marc Marquez in regard to his surgical procedure recently performed at Mayo Clinic. Fortunately, Marc Marquez has regained a great arc of motion and has recovered well from a muscular perspective as well. Today, he underwent radiographs and a CT scan that show complete bone union.”
