Jorge Prado: Fighting Fitness

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Jorge Prado has struggled somewhat in the MXGP class, with a couple of serious injuries prior to the season starting, and then having to race against riders who were 100% fit. The Spaniard though showed his potential when he picked up a podium finish at the final MXGP round in Latvia last month.

Prado was very emotional on the podium after his top three finish, and it was clear the injuries made his preparation nearly impossible, but due to hard work and his amazing determination he was quickly on the pace of the leading MXGP competitors.

“I mean,” Prado said. “I was an emotional day. Not so many people know how I had to fight to get that podium in Latvia. I had two bad injuries and every single day I put my maximum in every single training, and I put in 100% and it paid off. This is the highest category in motocross and to finish on the podium is very special. Now going home, it is relief.”

The demands of his two races showed for the two-time MX2 World champion and he had to really push himself to another level as his body slowly started showing signs of his lack of race fitness.

“The road up until the restart of MXGP has been very tough with two injuries. The femur was horrible and then the collarbone injury. It meant hardly any time on my bike. This year has been crazy and despite the lack of the training and the riding I could still manage a 3rd overall here. It was a very hard day. I felt good in the first race but at the beginning of the second I was suffering. I went very, very deep. I’m super-happy to keep that position to make the podium and to come away from these races without any crashes. I hope to keep going like this.”

Despite the Kegums circuit being very demanding, it was clear Prado wasn’t about to back down despite his race condition. Fortunately, Kegums was a track Prado enjoyed racing on, and found that extra bit of energy to end with his top three finish.

“It is a track I like, a nice track, a little sandy and tough physically, and that is why I struggled. I didn’t have much time on the bike, but Kegums was very physical. It is hard to say, but I am about 70% fitness wise. The level in MXGP is very high and it increases every year. It is tough up there. For me, it is easy (having a break between Latvia and Italy). I didn’t have much time on my bike, and I need to keep training hard and physical training. When we get back racing I need to be in better shape.”

So now going into the Faenza triple header you can be sure the extra few weeks of training for Prado will help him fight even harder for another podium finish, or maybe even a Grand Prix win. With names like Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser and Antonio Cairoli all showing good form, you can count on the Spanish rider to work harder than ever to beat his championships rivals.

Photo Copyright: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing