Brno MotoGP: Randy de Puniet cleared for remarkable return

Randy de Puniet will make a stunning MotoGP comeback tomorrow (Friday) in Brno just 26 days after his broke his left leg in two places.

The Frenchman will complete a remarkable recovery when he rides his LCR Honda during opening practice for the Czech Republic MotoGP – round ten of the 2010 world championship.

The former factory Kawasaki rider passed a ten-minute medical examination in Brno earlier today and will return less than a month after he broke his left tibia and fibula during the recent German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.

The 29-year-old’s hopes of being back in action appeared wildly optimistic as he began his recuperation with eight sessions in a hyperbaric chamber to speed up the healing process.

ut he will beat Valentino Rossi’s amazing recovery when the Italian rode in MotoGP just 41 days after suffering a compound fracture of his right tibia.

De Puniet said: “I am really happy to be here for this weekend. I tried to do my best after the injury and sure after a few days I didn’t know if I was going to be here.

“I made my best to be here and I’m quite surprised, but it is a good surprise. I tried to recover quickly and at the end I wanted to know if I was able to ride. You need to try to be there and after you decide. Now I am fit and that’s why I’m quite satisfied.”

The medical checks to ensure de Puniet was capable of riding a 240bhp MotoGP bike so soon after such a serious injury hardly seemed too strict when he revealed: “They touched my leg to see if I had some pain and they saw I could walk so it was no problem, they said I could ride. I was only with the doctor for ten minutes.”

De Puniet had gauged strength in his left leg when he completed a test at the Ales circuit earlier this week on a production Honda FireBlade.

He said: “I felt good when I tested the FireBlade. My ankle was a little bit difficult to change gear and move but it was important for my head to make sure I could ride.”

Asked what he expected to achieve in Sunday’s 22-lap race, de Puniet added: “I think I can be fast this weekend. I think tomorrow it will be difficult but when you saw the result of Valentino in Germany and Laguna Seca it was incredible.

“I will not be on the podium for sure because that is impossible but I think I can take some good points and restart my bid to be the first satellite rider at the end of the year.”