Marc Marquez: Heavier weights expose 'big difference' between left and right arm

Following the Spanish MotoGP weekend, where two hefty falls contributed to Marc Marquez electing to skip the post-race test, the eight-time world champion attended a scheduled medical check on his recovering right arm.

Although doctors gave the green light for Marquez to finally make his MotoGP comeback in Portimao, the event prior to Jerez, it came with the caveat that he can only do light gym training between races to limit the stress on his arm.

Marquez had been hoping that the latest medical check might allow for some two-wheel training to resume, but that will have to wait for at least another few weeks.

Increasing bone consolidation does mean the Repsol Honda rider can intensify his gym training, which has served to highlight just how much the right arm is still much weaker than the left, matching his feelings when riding the RC213V.

"Last Wednesday I had the check-up with my doctors. The bone consolidation is going in a good way. This means from Jerez to Le Mans I was able to increase the training in the gym," Marquez said.

"We start to find the way to get a bit more muscle, more power in the right arm. There I feel like still it’s a big difference comparing the left arm and right arm.

and we are far from a good level.

"I was training with low weights before Jerez, and I felt not bad. After Jerez we start to work in the gym with heavier weights and try to work harder. That is when I feel we are still far from a good way with my arm. Still the difference is big.

"So maybe the feeling I have in riding is normal. They say we need time. Maybe if everything is going well after Le Mans, I’ll be able to ride between races, and ride one day on a bike. This will also be another step.

"But at the moment we don’t decide yet. We just decide: last week I was training harder in the gym, the reaction of the body was ok.

"We don’t have time, but we need time!"

Although Marquez slipped from seventh at Portimao to ninth at Jerez, he reduced the gap to victory from 13 to 10-seconds.

But might the wet weather expected at Le Mans this weekend help given his physical condition?

"I don’t know. Of course on one side I’d like to ride in dry, because this is the best way to continue in my personal rehabilitation. On the other hand, wet conditions, you never know. It’s more a lottery.

"Of course the limit I have now is about physically condition and it’s true the wet is less demanding. So this can help. But on the other hand my [riding] position on the bike is not the same like always. We will see."