Alvaro Bautista is targeting this weekend’s Estoril GP as his return date after breaking his left femur 42 days ago during free practice in the season opener in Qatar.
The Rizla Suzuki rider will have to pass the usual medical exam at the Portuguese track before before being allowed back on his GSV-R, but judging by these photos taken of Bautista training on a supermotard bike yesterday, the exam will be a simple formality, even if Suzuki will have on hand their test rider Nobuatsu Aoki on stand-by, just in case.
Bautista who has been doing intensive physiotherapy to recover in time for this race said, “I have been working very hard to be back in time for Estoril and I believe I will be able to take part in the race.
I know it will be difficult, but I think the sooner I can get on the bike the more it will aid my total recovery and help my way to full fitness.
I have travelled over 4,500km with many journeys to the hyperbaric chamber in Madrid to assist with my healing – I have been there so many times I could close my eyes and go without problems!“I have now finished the rehabilitation phase and started on the physical preparation; this involves a lot of swimming, cycling and other fitness programmes to build up the strength so I can ride again.
It is going to be really tough, but I am totally focused on being on the GSV-R in Portugal, it’s all I can think about at the moment and that is my first goal.
After that we’ll see what happens and take everything one step at a time.
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