While Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Bradley Smith should make his return to Motegi after his ligament injury at the Oschersleben 8 Hours in August, don't expect him to be there at 100% fitness .
To tell the truth, the doctors even informed the British driver that he would no longer be able to ride this year. But we know the mentality of the MotoGP champions and this prediction quickly transformed into “only” around fifty days of absence.
Bradley Smith : " I did everything I could and I'm going to follow this kind of diet until I fly to Japan. So far, the entire medical team believes I will be ready. It won't be 100%, but if I want to ride I'll be able to do it and it'll just be me managing my own expectations and the pain and all that. The more I work at the moment, the easier Motegi will be. It also gives me a lot of motivation. »
However, this did not happen through the operation of the Holy Spirit and the Oxford native had to consult several doctors and undergo intensive training, after an operation in early September, to get to this point. Smith spent a week with the physiotherapist Harrison Ross in Manchester last month for a full-time program he described as “three hours of physio, two hours of gymnastics and one hour in the pool” and “waking up during the night, every two hours, to put ice on my knee”.
The 25-year-old explained how he reacted to the initial prediction that he would not be back on a bike this year.
“In my head, I didn’t want to believe it. When you read the reality of MRI, then have to accept it. But, even then, I still didn't want to believe it. The good thing is, when you sit down with the surgeon and he says "six to eight weeks," then you know it's definitely five. I did everything I could from the first moment and my body responded well. If I had listened to the first surgeon who saw me, then the season would be over and I wouldn't be riding until the next one, in February. »
Bradley Smith will therefore join the clan of convalescent pilots in Motegi, whether they are called Loris Baz, Jack Miller or Andrea Iannone.
Source: Bradley Smith Blog
