Had my second physio session since the operation today. My physio guy is very happy. Over 95 degrees of movement now (more than what I had before they took the wire and screws out) and more mobility in the rest of the leg. he’s also pleased with the recuperation of the muscle on the front of the thigh, there being greatly increased strength there over when he tested last time.
However, the last few days have been very trying as I have been in a lot more pain than I have experienced for quite some time, mostly just above the knee. I’ve been kidding myself that this means that the femur is sliding down the rod and joining up. Well, today, the physio guy confirmed that the pain I am experiencing IS associated with bone healing, so my perception could be correct.
Unfortunately, he also did a fair bit of manipulation of the kneecap and the muscles in the upper leg and, while it needs to be done, the pain that it caused and which has lingered on has been some of the worse that I’ve experienced for months. Back to popping pain-killers every four hours; thought I was past that, grrr.
Away from my troubles, the Marc/VDS Team tested at Brno yesterday with Damian Cudlin shouldering the majority of the riding duties and declaring that the test achieved more than all the other tests done put together so far. The team is getting a clear technological jump on any other teams planning to take part in the 1000cc formula next year. Let’s hope that they remember who did all the hard work when it comes time to hand out contracts.
Speaking of testing, Ducati are going to Mugello tomorrow to test both the GP11 and the GP12. The track has been resurfaced sine Rossi’s dramatic accident last year so the test should provide a good barometer as to whether they have got a handle on the Ducati’s legendary front end issues.
One of my good FB mates (and a long-standing Canberra identity, especially amongst the Green fraternity) is coming down on Sunday to pick up the Shadowfax engine (I hope he’s strong) and take it back to the ACT for a rebuild. This is the very first step towards putting the bike back together. Everything so far has been dis-assembly, so this is an exciting time.
In connection with my article yesterday about Chris Vermeulen, some O/S web sites are now openly suggesting what some of us have been thinking but haven’t been game to say. Has CV raced his last race? It does seem that his time at Kawasaki has been as jinxed, but for different reasons as his troubled times at Suzuki. If CV does decide to hang it up, forced by injury, it will be a tragedy. Earmarked by me (and many others) as a future World Champion, Chris’s career seems to have been punctuated by bad decisions and/or poor choices. I really do wonder, as I’ve said many times before, if he is regretting leaving Honda WSBK when he did when all he had to do was wait there one more year, probably win the championship, and then reap the reward for his efforts of a Honda MotoGp ride instead. Hindsight is always 20/20, of course, but I said at the time that it was the wrong decision and time is, unfortunately, proving me right.