Johann Zarco is making progress on his road back to MotoGP, but must continue to wait for his knee surgery—LCR is once again counting on Cal Crutchlow at the Sachsenring
A month and a half after his serious crash at the Catalan Grand Prix, Johann Zarco must continue to wait for his urgently needed knee surgery. Although the Frenchman has since resumed training, racing remains out of the question.
That’s why the LCR Honda team will once again rely on substitute rider Cal Crutchlow for the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. The team confirmed this on Wednesday.
Zarco was seriously injured during the second restart of the main race in Barcelona when his left leg got caught on Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati. The two-time Moto2 world champion suffered severe injuries to his left knee, including damage to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments as well as the medial meniscus. He also sustained a minor fracture of the fibula near the ankle.
Zarco remains optimistic: “This will help me”
Despite these injuries, there are now initial positive signs. On social media, Zarco has been seen back at strength and cycling training. LCR team principal Lucio Cecchinello also considers the fact that this is possible at all to be an important step.
“I’m happy—just like many fans—to see Johann back in training,” says the Italian confidently. ” It’s very important and very positive that the doctors and the surgeon decided to allow him to return to training. That will definitely help him get back in shape.”
However, surgery is still not an option. The reason is the ongoing risk of infection. Zarco himself recently explained on his Instagram channel that while this situation frustrates him, the time is by no means wasted.
“I’m happy to be able to train again. I can’t deny that I’m slowly starting to miss my team, my bike, and my world,” writes the Frenchman. “As long as there’s a risk of infection, I can’t risk the surgery.”
At the same time, the Honda rider is trying to find a silver lining in the forced break. “The work I’m doing on my knee now, before the surgery, will also help me afterward. That’s why I need to be patient a little longer.” And with a wink, he adds: “In the meantime, my guitar skills are improving, and it’s nice to spend some quiet time with my family.”
Crutchlow Also in Action at the Sachsenring
For LCR, this means continuing to rely on Cal Crutchlow. The 40-year-old Briton is already competing in his fifth race weekend at the Sachsenring as Zarco’s replacement.
The former LCR regular rider had come out of retirement specifically for this and has been supporting the team since Mugello. Although he hasn’t scored any points so far, the MotoGP veteran is still racking up important kilometers on the Honda RC213V.
At the Sachsenring, Crutchlow is now hoping for a better result, especially since the German track suits him well: He has stood on the podium there three times during his MotoGP career.
It remains unclear when Zarco will be able to undergo surgery and how long his subsequent rehabilitation will take. At least the Frenchman seems to have taken an important step in the right direction: He’s allowed to train again, even if his return to MotoGP will have to wait.
