MotoGP: John Hopkins still short of full fitness

Factory Kawasaki rider John Hopkins says he still hasn’t fully recovered from the torn abductor muscle he suffered in a massive 100mph testing crash as he prepares for this weekend’s Jerez MotoGP.

Hopkins has been continuing his recovery during the break after the season’s historic floodlit season opener in Qatar earlier this month, but the American is still short of 100 per cent fitness.

He tore the abductor muscle in his left groin during testing at Phillip Island in Australia and recent MRI scans has shown the damage still hasn’t completely healed.

John Hopkins said: “The abductor muscle I tore at Phillip Island in January still isn’t completely fixed but everything’s going okay and I’ve been training hard.

“I’ve been in Miami, the sun’s been out and I’ve been taking care of myself before Jerez.

“We’ve had some more MRI scans done, which show the injury is still definitely there, unfortunately, but it’s not been keeping me from working on my fitness.

“Despite the muscle problem, I really feel 100 per cent ready for the race and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’m definitely going to improve on the position I got at Qatar. We’ll work on tyre choice and a good set up and it’ll be great to head back to Europe to race.”