After a Lap 1 crash involving Aprilia test rider Bradley Smith that left Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) with a micro-fracture to the left femur, an injury to the left tibia and a bone edema to the left knee in Barcelona, the Spaniard is expected to be back on track for this weekend’s Motul TT Assen.
Espargaro was ruled out of the official one-day MotoGP™ Test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the Monday after the race, but it wasn’t all bad news for the number 41 with later medical checks confirming there was no significant ligament damage to the knee.
The Aprilia man has been able to undergo “intense rehabilitation” in the build-up to Assen and ahead of a medical check at the circuit on Thursday, Espargaro is confident he’ll be back on board his RS-GP this weekend.
“This week, I went through some intense rehabilitation, with all possible techniques and equipment,” commented Espargaro. “I am pleased with the results because I feel rather well, despite still having some difficulty with lateral movement due to the bone edema. In any case, I am highly motivated to get back on the track in Assen, one of my favourite circuits on the MotoGP calendar.”
Keep an eye out for the results of Espargaro’s medical checks to see if he’s passed fit to ride at Round 8, with the first slice of 2019 Assen MotoGP™ action coming your way at 09:55 local time (GMT+2).