from ... Clement Desalle

After two operations on my shoulders I am firmly in the process of taking things step-by-step to get back to normal. I am in the position now where the left one feels pretty good and I need to build up some muscle, although the state of the arm is not too bad. The right one is still a bit fragile and I will see the doctor next week; I hope he will be able to tell me I can start doing physical exercise and training without any worries.

I've been pretty busy recently although it does feel like a long time that I haven't been able to ride my Suzuki and I'm losing my patience a little! Andrea and I went on holiday to Tenerife and we had a fun time. Where our hotel was located was not the best for beaches because they are quite stony but we caught some sunshine and I took the chance of being by the pool every day to do some gentle exercises in the water. We went to visit the volcano and did a few touristy things. The holiday was a great time to relax and I ate everything! Normally I have to be a bit careful during the season but this was the moment to unwind and switch off.

Apart from finding the sun I have been working on my Suzuki Vitara jeep and having a lot of fun messing around with that; and also doing some light work with cycling although I know very well that I have to go slowly and not overdo it otherwise the body will not follow.

On Saturday night I will fly to the UK to be at the Dirt Bike Show. The team requested that I go to the exhibition and it is a good chance to have a look around and see what is new and also meet the fans that sometimes it can be hard to do at a race. Going to places like the Dirt Bike Show is another part of the job and it can be fun to be in a different environment with motocross.

So, a lot hinges on next week for me and the visit to the doctor. If I get the 'all clear' then I think I might be able to start a good programme by the third week of November. It means that everything should be fine for the week of physical training we traditionally do with the team in Portugal in December. If I feel good after that then there is a real chance of riding the bike before Christmas, which would be a great present!

Copy and photos courtesy of Team Suzuki Press Office.