Press Release | April 10, 2020
Mitch Evans recovery update, April 10, 2020:
On March 31st, Team HRC’s Mitch Evans had surgery on his right-shoulder back in Brisbane, Australia where the Honda rider is now recuperating. The initial prognosis from the doctors was good and the belief was that he would make a full and quick recovery. Honda caught up with youngster, who placed third in his first-ever MXGP race, just to see how things were progressing on his end. The following was shared by Honda Racing on April 10, 2020:
You had the surgery last week, what’s the situation right now with the shoulder and how are you coping with it all?
I’ve basically now just got to let the shoulder recover and let the cartilage glue back to the bone. I have these little exercises that the physio has given me, after seeing him in the studio yesterday for my one week check-up. He was really happy with my range of motion and I have double the range that anyone normally would one week after surgery so that’s a really positive sign. He gave me these exercises to do so I’ve been following that advice. I’m not in any pain so honestly, it doesn’t even feel like I’ve had surgery at all. I’ve also been keeping in contact with Team HRC’s physio Filippo and he’s really happy with the progress too so it’s all looking positive. I’m keeping it rested it, but doing these four different exercises four times a day and that’s the only time that I’m move it. They are pretty basic range of motion exercises and then nothing else.
What about the rest of your body, are you able to train and keep fit still?
I’m still able to cycle, but I’m not able to go running or anything like that. I’m allowed to do cycling and weights on any other part of my body just as long as am I’m not using my shoulder, so I started indoor cycling two days ago now and just slowly build back into it as I haven’t really done much since I dislocated shoulder. I just want to keep my base fitness and then once my shoulder starts feeling a lot better, I want to add some higher intensity workouts to try and replicate the bike time that I’m missing. At the moment its low intensity stuff, just to get the body moving again.
In terms of the schedule, are you working on the shoulder schedule or are you looking at the MXGP schedule and trying to recover for that?
For me, I’m just focusing on my shoulder and just by the timeline that my doctors and physio have laid out for me. I’m not really worrying about the MXGP calendar right now, as honestly, I don’t know when the next race is likely to be so it makes sense just to control what I can control. I hope though that by the time we do get back to racing, I’ll have spent time back on the bike already.
Is there a plan to come back from Australia or is it still up in the air?
I don’t think anyone really has an idea at the minute, so we’re just playing it day by day and seeing what the governments are saying. It’s going to come down to when we’re allowed out of the country, or even when I’m allowed back into other countries without any quarantine periods.
You’re at home most of the time now, have you found anything else to pass the time?
We’ve been doing jigsaw puzzles recently at home, 1000-piece puzzles and they take a good amount of time. We’re onto our second one now so just trying to keep off the boredom that way. It’s like being a little kid again, playing board games at home and sitting around and not doing too much. It’s a difficult situation but I’m also looking at doing some studying at home, so we’ll see how that goes. I’m thinking of doing something like science and nutrition, something along those lines, which could help me with my career at the moment and also gets me ahead for after my racing career.
Any last words for your fans out there?
I think it is just important for everyone to follow their government’s guidelines during this difficult period. Obviously it’s easy for me to say this right now, but the FIM message of #RidersAtHome is an important one to follow because this time will come to an end, and then once it’s over, we can ride again without any problems. It’s important that people stay safe and just reduce unnecessary risk and personally, it’ll make the return to racing even sweeter when we get to do it.
Mitch Evans recovery update, March 31, 2020:
Team HRC rider Mitch Evans is recovering nicely at home in Australia after having surgery on the right shoulder that he damaged in a crash at the second MXGP of the season in Valkenswaard, Netherlands.
This is a press release from Honda Racing…
Photos Courtesy of Honda / Bavo Swijgers
Performed by the respected Dr Steve Andrews at the Brisbane Private Hospital, the arthroscopic anterior stabilisation went smoothly and without complications, giving Evans the best possible chance to recover as quickly as possible during this enforced absence from the MXGP calendar.
At the moment, the next scheduled event is in Russia on June 6th in just over three months’ time, but with the nature of the current COVID-19 pandemic causing uncertainty, there is no real timeline for the Australian’s next race and as such, he can concentrate on his recuperation and getting back to the form that saw him go three-seven in his first ever MXGP round at Matterley Basin, Great Britain.
Mitch Evans: I’m glad to have had the surgery, and I can now get home and begin my recovery. It’s a strange situation with the season and all these postponed races but my aim is to get my shoulder feeling 100% and to get back riding and feeling comfortable on the bike again. A big thanks to the team for all their support and advice and hopefully I’ll be back soon. Stay safe everyone!
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