It’s finally time for Marc Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team RC213V to get back on track, a goal the seven-time world champion has pushed hard throughout the winter.
For reigning MotoGP ™ world champion Marc Marquez, the Sepang test is a milestone in his recovery from shoulder surgery as he and the RC213V are reunited for the first time.
After riding an exercise bike the week before the test, Marc Marquez and his physiotherapist Carlos J. García increased the intensity of their pre-Sepang program.
“When I woke up, it hurt. It is difficult to be the physical therapist. When I do this in the morning, I am very tired. I didn’t skip a day, we started on December 11th and didn’t train on the 24th, 25th, 31st or 1st. It has hurt the most in the last few weeks because everything has already been set, ”said Marquez before one of his last physiotherapy sessions at home in Cervera. “The hardest thing is the psychological side. I’ve been doing this two and a half hours in the morning and two and a half hours in the afternoon since December 11th.”
“The hardest thing is the psychological side”
“There are days when he is very patient, especially during the first phase of the recovery process. Then, little by little, as the noose came loose, he became more anxious. “I had the noose removed, I can do it!” and I would tell him, “No, you can’t do it, don’t move your shoulder.” He had to be stopped a little there because if it were up to him he would have been on a bike on January 7th. He just wants to be on the bike! “Explained Carlos, the physiotherapist who has worked exclusively with Marquez since December.
“You took the wheels off my motorcycles!” interjected Marquez.
“There were orders for the dismantling of all motorcycles. When we went to the gym and passed some bikes, he got on one, got into the riding position, and made noises like he was on the track. So much does he want to get back on a bike, ”said Carlos as he continued working on Marquez.
“Do not say that! They’ll say, ‘This guy’s crazy!’ “Marquez beamed as his shoulder was again pushed to the limit of its current mobility.
“The shoulder is undoubtedly better than in all of 2018”
Although progress may not have been as rapid as Marquez had imagined, Carlos remains certain that the surgery and subsequent recovery have been beneficial: “The shoulder is undoubtedly better than it was in all of 2018. In terms of mobility, are we at 90%. What he does in terms of muscles to move his shoulder and arm is maybe 75-80% in terms of mobility strength. We are in this phase to give stability to the entire shoulder complex. The shoulder must remain stable; His body has to react without focusing on his shoulder. He has to part and not think about his shoulder, concentrate on riding and let his body react. “
“Until I get on the MotoGP bike, I don’t know what shape I’m in. I am aware that in terms of the number of laps I do, it will be quality over quantity. This is mainly used to avoid tendinitis or the like. I am also aware that it is only a test if I cannot do the laps in the test that I want. We will all leave Malaysia with zero points. I have to be careful and not throw away the hours I spent recovering, the two months I was recovering and patient, ”Marquez said as he walked from the physiotherapy table to the gym next door.
Now Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team are on their way to the three-day Sepang Test, during which Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team not only evaluate the 2019 RC213V, but also evaluate the condition and progress of its left shoulder.
Official test driver Stefan Bradl will switch to the second Repsol Honda Team RC213V while Jorge Lorenzo continues to recover from a broken scaphoid in his left hand.
The Repsol Honda Team will then travel to Qatar for the final pre-season test from February 23-25, where Marc Marquez will again be assisted by Jorge Lorenzo.