Johann Zarco tests the Fireblade: How his injured knee is responding

LCR Honda star Johann Zarco made a surprise announcement this week that he will make his comeback at the MotoGP event at MotorLand Aragón at the end of August. The Frenchman’s return had originally been scheduled for Misano Adriatico.

As a reminder, the 36-year-old suffered a serious injury to his left knee in mid-May at the start of the MotoGP race in Barcelona following a collision with Pecco Bagnaia’s motorbike. Most recently, Zarco was replaced at LCR-Honda by Cal Crutchlow (40).

Stress test: Zarco on the 1000cc bike in the south of France

Almost at the same time as the announcement of his comeback, Zarco completed a private test on a Honda Fireblade. The venue was the “Pôle Mécanique Alès Cévennes” circuit near Nîmes in southern France. The circuit’s operators have been working with the two-time Moto2 world champion for years, which meant Zarco was able to test behind closed doors.

“It was completely different from my recent experience on the Supermoto bike, which has a more comfortable riding position. But that was exactly the point of this test,” explained Zarco. “I’ve been training again for two months now. It was two days of truly private testing.”

The Honda rider was also pleased with his pace: “The lap times were fine too. It was important to see how I felt on the bike in the racing position.”

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Impacts whilst riding cause pain

Above all, the extreme riding position on a Superbike presented Zarco with a crucial stress test. “The body adapts quickly, but it still struggles with this heavily bent posture,” explained the Frenchman. “The discomfort in my knee was bearable. As far as the riding position is concerned, it doesn’t really bother me either. The pain actually comes precisely when I take small impacts, start to slide and try to absorb those moments. All these little impacts cause the pain.”

Nevertheless, Zarco drew a positive conclusion after the two days of testing. “The rehab is going pretty well, and it feels absolutely brilliant to be back on the track – especially at Alès, where I know my way around well. With the CBR, you can hardly take it easy on a track as tight as Alès. That really helps you work out where you stand. And I can see that things are going pretty well.”

Nevertheless, post-session care remains an important part of Zarco’s comeback programme: “I always make sure to ice my knee properly.”