Quote:
"I haven't lost my love for bikes and racing," he told Motosprint this week. "And neither for Ducati. My plan is to return to racing as soon as I get my energy back.
"The objective is still to race in Portugal."
"At one point I started having a bad feeling: I felt vulnerable, and I found myself in the position of someone doing something he hates. It's like finding yourself doing a job you can't stand, but that you have to do anyway.
"It was a really bad feeling for me, to realise that while I was riding my bike, while I was racing and fighting against my rivals, I was really pushing to the maximum, I was giving it my all, but there was nothing I could do to avoid those results I don't like. They are not up to my usual level of performance.
"This [break] was the only possibility I could see. I convinced myself that I had to detach myself, for a short time but completely, from what I was doing: I had to disconnect from racing.
"The most frustrating thing is being unable to ride my bike perfectly. It's bad for me, for the team, for Ducati. This situation is difficult for everyone.
"I can make shift and manage injuries, but I can't manage something I don't know."
Really happy to hear that he's not thinking about quitting. Hopefully the rest and an altered fitness regime will see him return to health and his best. The series needs it.