Dani Pedrosa eager to return to action

Dani Pedrosa will return to action in Brno this weekend fully recovered from the injuries that forced him to withdraw from the American GP last month.

The factory Honda rider has used the summer break to rest and recuperate from the leg and hand injuries that he suffered when he crashed out of the lead of a rain-lashed German GP at the Sachsenring last month.

Pedrosa’s failure to score points in the last two races has virtually ended his hopes of challenging Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner for the 2008 title, but he said: “The holiday period gave me a good chance to relax and recover, so I hope I will be fine for Brno.

“When I returned from Laguna Seca my doctor told me I needed a week and a half of complete rest. I couldn’t train so I spent an enjoyable few days in Mallorca, disconnecting from everything and resting both my hand and foot.

“I had the stitches removed from my hand in Barcelona and then I started rehabilitation. The hand still hurts but the wrist has good mobility and the fingers are no longer swollen.  The foot is still taped, just to avoid rough movements.”

The Spaniard was able to return to training last week and he added: “I started training last week, mostly on my bicycle. I hope I can have a good race at Brno to start the second part of the championship in the best possible way. Brno is a good circuit, with some interesting uphill and downhill sections, very much in the style of the classic circuits.

“The track is medium speed to very high speed with some good corners and fast straights. It’s the kind of circuit that demands a gentle, fine riding style, you don’t need to be aggressive when taking the corners.

“It has just been resurfaced, so we will have to wait and see what the grip is like. The atmosphere is always great, with a big and enthusiastic crowd on race day. Getting the set-up right for this track is always a delicate operation, aiming to get the best compromise between cornering ability and braking stability.”