Rossi rides, Aragon decision by Wednesday

Movistar Yamaha has confirmed that Valentino Rossi took part in a test session on an R1 Superbike at Misano on Monday afternoon, but the arrival of rain meant the evaluation of his physical condition proved inconclusive.

Rossi will decide by the end of Wednesday if he can try and ride at this weekend's Aragon MotoGP, which starts just 22 days after breaking his right tibia and fibula in an enduro training accident.

'Following an enduro accident on August 31st, Valentino Rossi has been diligently working on his recovery from the double fracture in his right leg,' read a Movistar Yamaha statement. 

'Today the nine-time World Champion put his fitness level to the test and successfully completed a few laps around the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on a YZF-R1M, before rain disrupted the trial run.

'As today's riding session was cut short due to the change in weather, the evaluation of Rossi's physical condition was inconclusive. He will decide by the end of Wednesday, September 20th, whether he will attempt to take part in this weekend‘s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón.'

Yamaha WorldSBK star Michael van der Mark is already on standby to replace Rossi if the Italian is again absent, having already missed the San Marino MotoGP.

The words 'attempt to take part' suggest Rossi might try and ride in Friday practice before deciding whether to continue the Aragon weekend, given the inconclusive nature of today's outing. It is not clear if Rossi will try and ride the R1 again on Tuesday, weather permitting.

Rossi is fourth in the world championship and 42 points from joint title leaders Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso, with a maximum of 125 points still available.

If The Doctor decides to risk an early return, the main motivation must surely be that he feels this year's title is still possible...