That’s due to the damage inflicted on h♛is eighth vertebra during the brutal practice accident at the Portimao sea𒁏son opener, in March.

The GASGAS Tech3 rider was left with aඣ loꩲng list of fractures when he was caught out by a cold tyre.

Large rocks in the gravel 🌳trap and lack of an airfence may well have contributed to the extent of his injuries (an airfence was installed the following day) but♌ Espargaro didn’t want to deflect the blame.

“The first one ‘guilty’ is me, 🐈because I crashed,” he said. “It wasn’t the right moment to push into this corner.

"There were a lot of circumstances. The tyre was cold. Also, the tyre in the right side, especially in that track, we were struggling because w🍌e felt it a bit harder than normal.

“There was one𓂃 right corner before the one where I crashed where Viñales was coming very quickly, so I went out of the line. So, I couldn’t warm the tyre🐟 on the right side. Then when I tried to push to make the fast lap, it happened.

“But it’s not about saying someone is guilty. Things could be improved. Dorna tried [with the airfꦆence] after my crash, which is great. The best thing is to learn and it’s what we do.”

Espargaro was disappointed to miss his goal of a return to MotoGP action before the summer break, but the fact he was fit enough to be present trackside at Assen was a 'miracle’ given his initial conditဣion.

“When I was in the ICU in the hospital after the crash, I had so many f🀅ractures in my body, I couldn’t feel which one was more painful. The pain level was in the sky, it was so much. I was fully with the painkillers,” he explained.

“When I started to wake up, I could start to feel where the p📖ain came from. That was hard because during a certain time, the pain was coming from the mouth [jaw], the back, the neck, the ri♏bs…

“I had so many troubles with my body ♔that finally to end up in this situation after three mon൲ths is a miracle. I’m very pleased.

“I was planning to go to the Sachsenring to race, maybe even to Mugello. But the l🐼ast x-ray didn’t show up as the doctors expected so they told me it’s better to wait. But I wanted🎉 to [come here to Assen to] see people before the summer break.”

“I was losing 2.5kg of muscle per week”

Despite the initial pain, Espargaro’s worst moment was still to come;♏ when his mouth was locked closed to allow his fractured jaw to heal.

“The worst moment I believe, was the 4 w𒅌eeks after I left hospital. I had my mouth completely closed. Completely. N♔ot even 1mm open. For four weeks. I couldn’t eat. I was just drinking soups and was losing like 2.5kg per week. This is insane.

“I was losing 2.5 ♉kilos of muscle, not fat, because I didn’t have fat at the beginnin🍸g of the year. Every week, you go on the scales, and think how much work will I need to do to regain 8 or 9kg? It was not a nice feeling.

“I looked at the mౠirror and it was not my face. It was not my body. You don’t recognise yourself in the mirror and that was hard.”

“I’m 1.5cm shorter”

While the muscle will return, Esp💛arga🦂ro revealed that one of the fractured vertebra has left him 1.5cm shorter.

“In the vertebrae, I had broken number🎃s 3, 6 and 8," he said.

“Number 8ꦦ was split in four. Plus it reduced a little bit 💮the height of the vertebra – well, quite a lot. That’s why it took a bit longer than the other ones.

“For sure, I’ve ಌlost 1cm and a ha🤡lf. OK, I’m married with 2 daughters so I don’t care about this!

“But for sure in 2 or 3 weeks it’s going to be fully healed and also it’s going to be harder than before, j𓂃ust reduced the height of the vertebra, but everything is 🦩going to be perfect.”

Espargaro has been using a hyperbaric chꦬamber to🔯 speed up his recovery time.

“That was not nice. It⛦ feels like home now because I’ve been a lot of hours inside this and other machines. In 24 hours I’m maybe resting like 3 or 4 hours not doing anythin🤡g. Because I’m going to another one.

“But the d❀octors said it would take between six to seven months (to race again). And aft🐻er the summer break, it’s going to be like 4 months. So I reduced it by 3 months which is amazing.”

"I’m recovering my spirit, I’m ready for it"

All of which means Espargaro is viewing the summer break as ღa sec൲ond pre-season.

“I have my Supermoto ready, waiting for the back. Maybe I will ask for the street bike that KT𒁃M - even if it’s not a GASGAS, I thi𓆉nk they will allow it!” he said.

“It’ll be like anothᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe🅠r preseason. I plan to go to several tracks during the five weeks. Also training-wise, I’m gaining my weight again quite good.

“I was like in 125cc weight, even a little bit lighter. I cou♊ldn’t even look at myself in the mirror🃏. Nobody was there!

"I’m recovering everythi𝕴ng, re💝covering the spirit, the soul and I’m ready for it.”