Aleix Espargaro gets “rehab vibes” 10 days after vertebrae fractures

Aleix Espargaro has begun rehabilitation just ten days after fracturing two vertebrae in a cycling accident.

The HRC test rider had been due to make his LCR Honda debut at last weekend’s Hungarian MotoGP, standing in for the injured Somkiat Chantra.

But after travelling to Balaton Park, Espargaro was declared unfit to ride on Thursday and promptly returned to Barcelona, where scans revealed the full extent of his injuries.

“Rehab vibes! 10 days after breaking two vertebrae… Starting to move again,” Espargaro wrote in an update on social media.

“Low carbs diet, coffee x2, training smart, and spending hours on rehab machines. Step by step, stronger every day!”

It remains unclear whether rookie Chantra, who needed surgery for knee ligament damage in a pre-summer break training crash, will finally be able to return at next weekend’s Catalan round.

If not, LCR could again face a replacement headache, with Espargaro’s fellow HRC test rider Takaaki Nakagami also recovering from ligament injuries.

If fit enough, Espargaro - who has made three race appearances as a HRC wild-card and stand-in so far this year - boasts a strong record at his home Montmelo track, including a perfect Aprilia double in 2023, plus a Sprint win at last year’s event.

He then signed off his full-time MotoGP career with a pair of top-five finishes at circuit, in the rescheduled season finale.