Valentino Rossi’s is slowly healing from his fractured right tibia as the Italian rode a Yamaha superbike engine at Misano, the initial time back on two wheels following his injury.

After the completion  of 26 laps, Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha Team Manager, Davide Brivio, commented on how well the test had been received.

“This test was definitely very important because it allowed Valentino to understand what the problems are and what still hurts and doesn’t,” explains Brivio. “I’d say the leg was quite good but he still had some shoulder pain, which was what we expected. This can give us an indication of the preparations we need to make for the next ten days.”

On a possible return for the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland on July 16-18, Brivio adds, “Whether he can ride at Sachsenring or not will be decided within the next week, around Tuesday or Wednesday, on the eve of the GP. It will depend on how he feels and how he works in the next seven or eight days, and we will be able to understand then whether he will make it or not.”

He continues, “It is difficult to be able to do another test (before Sachsenring) because there isn’t another available bike. The one he used here will be in Brno this weekend. If he works in the gym and the preparations go well, he will probably be present at Sachsenring and we will try the M1 directly there.”

Brivio explained how encouraging it is to see Rossi back on a bike, despite feeling some aching, "The Doctor" happily enjoyed the time.

“He looked to be extremely happy to be back on a bike again, and it gave me the impression that he had missed being on a bike a lot during this period. He spoke about the bike and made some comments, just like in a normal test. I have seen how much pleasure he got from riding the bike,” he says.

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Following his broken leg, Rossi rode 26 laps in total at Misano on a YZF-R1 WSB engine supplied by the Yamaha World Superbike Team, and claimed a best lap time of 1'38.200. The World Champion initially raced 11 laps at 18.30 CET with a quickest time of 1'41.000, then another run of 15 laps at 19.45 CET with a fastest time of 1'38.200 (unofficial times).

Rossi was able to race quite well however he incurred some agony in his leg and shoulder. He will continue with his rehabilitation program and decide within the next week if he is able to race at the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.

"We made this test in order to understand how we must work from here and to see more or less how I can ride the bike," says Rossi. "The test was positive, because I can at least ride, but there is a lot more to a MotoGP race than to a test like this one. I had some pain in the ankle, the knee and the shoulder, but above all I lacked strength in the shoulder and a bit of movement in the ankle. I would really like to come back at Sachsenring, but it is still too early to say. We still have twelve days and we must wait and see how much we can improve my condition in the next few days.

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