Pol: Power not pain the problem from the body

Pol Espargaro is confident he’ll be able to manage the pain during the Misano race but accepts he’ll be hampered by a lack of physical power on his Red Bull KTM on his return from injury.

Espargaro suffered a broken collarbone and a worrying neck injury during the warm-up session at Brno during the Czech Republic round last month.

Pol: Power not pain the problem from the body

Pol Espargaro is confident he’ll be able to manage the pain during the Misano race but accepts he’ll be hampered by a lack of physical power on his Red Bull KTM on his return from injury.

Espargaro suffered a broken collarbone and a worrying neck injury during the warm-up session at Brno during the Czech Republic round last month.

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The Spanish rider has recovered sufficiently to return for the San Marino round this weekend, five weeks after the accident, but has accepted he made a tentative start on Friday practice down in 24th place and over half a second slower than team-mate Bradley Smith.

Having been unable to regularly train during his recovery, Espargaro says the two practice sessions were ‘waking up’ his body and accepts he won’t be at full fitness this weekend. The Red Bull KTM rider doesn’t feel the pain from his recovering collarbone will cause any issue but fears he’s lacking power from his body at the tight and twisty Misano track.

“The problem is the collarbone is not fixed but the problem also is that I am tired and have no power,” Espargaro said. “I need that but in the other hand I am not ready for that. It is difficult because it is painful and I am tired but also I need to do that, I need to be here and I need to ride.

“The left brakes and the last corner braking, is killing me. It is super hard as you come from a left and need to brake but you are in a position which means you have a lot of power in the upper left side of the body which is where I feel the pain.

“The change of direction is super hard, first to second, second to third, the fast corner as well on the exit. A lot of places on the track you feel quite busy and the problem is after a long time with no riding I am little bit stressed on the bike but by riding he bike fast plus the problem when I am a little bit weak in one area or going wide I cannot stop the bike so it is not easy. Too much work to do and not so much power.

“The pain is a problem but you can take painkillers and make a solution. But the weakness of power that I have on this side… it has been sleeping for five weeks so this is the main problem.

“If the power is not there, it is not there. I think it is going to go up in the next few weeks which will help me for the future races.”

Espargaro also admitted his first laps back on the RC16 were a shock to the system and felt like he was on a ‘Moto2’ bike being over five seconds slower than his rivals.

“The first five laps I was riding I thought were going to be bad but when you face the reality it is really bad,” he said.

“I was five or six seconds slower on the first laps and when everyone is overtaking you, riders that you were faster than, and it looks like you are riding on Moto2 it is painful. It is process that I need to get through to survive.”

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