After the high of Texasಌ, R🍬ins failed to finish the following grands prix races in Jerez and Le Mans before disaster struck in the form of fractures to his right tibia and fibula in the Mugello Sprint.

Surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation fo🎃llowed, complicated by nerve pain, before Rins m꧅ade an attempted return at Motegi, late last month.

That had to be abandoned due to the pain, but Rins went the distance in the scorchin𒊎g heat of Mandalika, riding from 21st and last to 16th in the Sprint and then 9th in the full-length GP.

“I’m done!” sa🥃id Rins. “I struggled to finish the race, because after 13-14 laps [of 27] I started to feel heavy pain, but at least I was able to hold the pace, ‘32 low. So🧸 I'm quite happy for this.

“During the race I was focussed on trﷺying to stay on the pace, on the line. T𝕴hen after the chequered flag [the fatigue hit me].

“When I go𝐆t back to the box, I was chatting with the team, then I couldn’t stand down from the bike! The pectoral, all the muscles [are gone]... I have arm pump right now. Many, mꦫany things!”

With Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Joan Mir crashing out, and team-mate Takaaki Nakagami eleventh after gambling on the soft rear t🅷yre, Rins was the first RC213V over the line.

“We fought really hard all these months without racing, at home with the 𓂃physical therapies, in the gym. So🥂 for me today we achieved more than a P9.

“For me, it was like a podium. We strugglဣed a lot, many ♛days in the hospital. So to achieve this is a really, really great result. First Honda. We stayed on the bike, with all these hot conditions and the slippery track. I'm super happy!”

Rins, swiꦡtching to Monster Yamaha next season, starts the remaining five rounds ten points behind ♏the top Honda of Marc Marquez, who is 16th in the standings.