Valentino Rossi cleared for return to action after leg break
The nine-time world champion suffered a double fracture during a training exercise last month.
Valentino Rossi has been passed fit to take part in Sunday’s Aragon MotoGP race three weeks after breaking his leg.
The Movistar Yamaha rider passed a medical examination on Thursday at the Spanish circuit and will take part in Friday’s first practice session.
Providing he comes through that with no adverse effects he will attempt to qualify on Saturday ahead of the following day’s 14th round of the 18-race series.
Rossi had said he would try to take part in Spain after he spent Monday and Tuesday at the Marco Simoncelli circuit in Italy testing out the fitness of his leg.
Rossi arrived at the Aragon circuit on Thursday morning walking with the aid of a crutch and after being passed fit he will take part in Friday’s practice aboard his YZR-M1 race bike.
Following the two-day test in Italy, Rossi said: “At the end I decided I will leave for Aragon and will try to ride my M1 this weekend. If I will be declared fit to ride, I’ll have the real answer after FP1, because riding the M1 will be a much bigger challenge.”
Yamaha had drafted in World Superbike rider Michael van der Mark as a possible replacement for Rossi if the Italian was not declared fit.
But after he passed the medical check Rossi’s Movistar Yamaha team confirmed they would have their first-choice line-up available for the race.
Rossi currently lies fourth in the world championship standings, 42 points behind joint leaders Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso, with five races to go.
Rossi told the pre-race press conference: “First of all I am happy anyway to try.”
Rossi needs to see if he can cope with the demands of riding a MotoGP machine after riding in Italy on a road-going version for the first time since his accident.
“I need to understand the feeling with the MotoGP bike because it is a bit different. In general I feel quite good. Fortunately I am not in too much pain. It is coming better very day.
“I tried some laps in Misano and there was a bit of pain, but I can ride. So we wait for (Friday) and we try to understand if it is possible to ride the bike at a good level.”
