MotoGP News
The Medical Commission gave approval for LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet to return to action this weekend for the Cardion ab Grand Prix Czech Republic at Brno, Round 10 of the 2010 MotoGP Championship.
The Frenchman was not competing on his RC212V for the past three weeks due to recovering from a fractured tibia and fibula, injuries he sustained during a fiery crash in the Germany GP at Sachsenring, Round 8.
The wreck that brought out a red flag at Sachsenring also brought down both Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) and Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing), and Pramac racing Ducati rider Mika Kallio ran over the de Puniet’s leg while passing by.
In preparation for this weekend’s race, de Puniet was on a track during a private ride in Southern France on Monday. While there, the 29-year-old piloted a CBR1000RR around the track in Alés to assess his healing leg.
Randy De Puniet says: “I wanted to confirm I would be okay to ride and not just ride slowly, but fast. After the test I am very happy and also confident for this weekend. There was a small amount of pain in the first five laps but this is normal, especially with the ankle when changing gear.”
“This week end I will try to take as many points as possible. We will see how it goes during the practice and qualifying sessions. I will need to go step by step in each session, to work with my head, the most important thing is to be prepared for the race and to get the best result.”
The LCR Honda rider spoke at the press conference for this weekend’s MotoGP race, discussing his overall condition.
Randy de Puniet says: “I’d like to thank everyone who has helped with my recovery. It’s a surprise to be here this weekend, but a nice surprise. I started physiotherapy just three days after the operation on my leg and the recovery has been good. I tested a standard bike last week in France and everything was okay. I actually think this weekend will be easier than last year at Brno, where I rode in a lot of pain just after breaking my ankle.”
De Puniet missed only one round, Laguna Seca, and is in eighth place in the championship with 69 points. Nine rounds of MotoGP remain, starting with this weekend’s round in Brno.
