Alberto Forato signed with the Standing Construct Honda team and started working with Stefan Everts over the winter but sadly got hit with an injury which ruled him out of action for a while. The good news is that the Italian returned to MXGP action at Loket and then Lommel. Not exactly easy to return at those two tracks but Lommel was already a step in the right direction finishing 12-16 in the moto’s.
We caught up with Forato after the event to discuss his comeback and more which you can read, watch or listen to below…
GateDrop: Alby, you made your return last weekend in Loket and the second GP back, Lommel. Not exactly easy, but how was your day?
Forato: Yeah, actually not easy for sure. Loket and Lommel, I think are the toughest GP’s of the year. One is crazy hard here with the sand, of course. Yeah, it’s tough. Tough to come back. Actually, I’m still managing somehow with the breathing and stuff. Yesterday morning I started and it was so difficult to breathe. But yeah, I try to push forward and get through it and it gets better and better, I already did one step this weekend. And hopefully Sweden and the next ones will go better and better to be back on my shape. For sure at the moment I’m far off and missing four or five months… It’s quite a lot and it is tough, but I will be back and as strong as ever. So yeah, see you soon.
GateDrop: And you got a lot of arm pump in Loket… Was there any arm pump out there today?
Forato: Yeah, Loket was a big arm pump, like crazy. Here it was actually better. Most of my hands, like, here I put a lot of things, but it was a bit better. For sure the flow and also the sand helped me a bit. But, yeah, here it was a bit better, but Loket it was this strong arm pump.
GateDrop: How was the track? Yesterday for Lommel it actually wasn’t that rough, but today was the Lommel that we all know…
Forato: Yeah, today was really hard. The bumps were, like, what, two meters and so square. So it was really not easy, really. But, yeah, you have to find the flow and it was not easy to find that flow. Yesterday was a bit, yeah, was not easy, actually, to find the flow, but was a bit better. But today, yes, was really rough.
GateDrop: Just on the Standing Construct team, what’s it like being with them? You’ve probably been working your whole career to get a big team like this, so it must feel great.
Forato: Yes, actually, it’s really great and I love to work with them. We are doing really great. Actually, we could not show it because, yeah, I had a big injury. But I hope we’re going to show it by the end of the year.
GateDrop: Just with the injury, it must have been a big blow at the time because, obviously, you’ve worked so hard to get into a position like this. Then an injury comes along, you can’t do anything about it… But between now and the end of the season hopefully you can improve and improve….
Forato: Yeah, it is like this of course. I was super ready for the year and I was super pumped and I was feeling really confident with the bike and with everything. I was also fast, so I was really happy and really ready to start the season. But then I get this injury that takes away everything. But it’s part of the job, you know, so, yeah, not much I can do. I just had to fucos on the recovery and try to be better.
GateDrop: Pauls is out injured at the minute, the team have such a big awning. What’s it like being the only rider underneath such a big setup?
Forato: Actually, it doesn’t bother me. I like it, actually. I said to my girlfriend, hey, you see, they’ve got two big tracks just for me (laughs). So, it’s nice. It’s a nice feeling. It doesn’t bother me and it doesn’t put pressure on me. I like it and I keep working for more.
GateDrop: You started working with Stefan Everts throughout the winter. An absolute legend, he doesn’t need any introduction. What’s it been like working with him?
Forato: Yeah, it’s been tough. It has been tough. We work a lot and that’s why I also said that I was really happy and pumped for the beginning of the season. But, yeah, this happened. Yeah, for sure. We push really much each other and we like to work together. So, yeah, let’s see what we can do.
GateDrop: What way is he trying to help you? Obviously, Stefan usually tries to teach his riders to ride the way he rode, technically. Is he trying to change your technique? That might be difficult because you’re a heavy guy. Or is it more just the working side of it?
Forato: Yeah, it’s like more the working (physical) side of it. Actually, we find a really, really, really good connection on style. And if he says, yeah, try this, I could do it straight away. He said he was quite impressed about it so, we are really good. Now we just keep working, putting the hours and the work on.
