Aleix Espargaro is in a race against time to be fit enough to compete in next weekends MotoGP season-opening Portuguese Grand Prix after undergoing surgery on his left arm.
The Aprilia rider struggled with fibrosis in his left appendage throughout pre-season testing at the Algarve International Circuit over the weekend – the condition affecting his testing plans throughout – the Spanish rider’s extreme discomfort forcing him to head to the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona on Monday.
These checks confirmed that he was suffering from fibrosis – an extreme swelling of the muscles in the affected region caused by thickening or scarring of the muscle tissue – rather than the arm pump more commonly sustained by motorcycle racers, with a swift surgery soon following.
Posting an image of him lying in hospital on Tuesday, a defiant Espargaro said that he is “ready to race” following the procedure, though he faces a short 12 day battle in order to be fit enough to take to the controls of his RS-GP for the Spanish GP.
“Surgery done!” said Espargaro in an Instagram post on Tuesday afternoon.
I had a lot of pressure in my forearm, so everything is released and I’m now ready to race!”
Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori would likely be the man to take over from Espargaro alongside Maverick Vinales should he be ruled unfit to compete in Portimao.
