Marc Marquez Almost Completed An Unreal Comeback Before His Horrific Crash

Illustration for article titled Marc Marquez Almost Completed An Unreal Comeback Before His Horrific Crash
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Marc Marquez is the reigning MotoGP world champion and one of the greatest motorcycle road racers of all-time, but even by his standards Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix was dramatic.

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Marquez started the race in third after qualifying, quickly working his way up to first before, on the fourth lap, he ended up off the track and dropped all the way to 18th. He was lucky to not have completely wiped out.

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From there, Marquez methodically cut his way through the field and worked his way back to third. You can view video of that on MotoGP’s website, but suffice to say it was one of the more amazing comebacks of Marquez’s career, in a career full of a few good ones.

Which was how things stood with four laps to go, when it looked pretty much inevitable that Marquez would at least finish second, with Fabio Quartararo leading by several seconds. Marquez looked pissed off, determined, and possibly could have even made a run at Quartararo before disaster struck in the form of a nasty highside crash.

Marquez suffered a broken arm in the crash, though it sounds like there could also be nerve damage. It also sounds like Marquez is itching to get back on the saddle, possibly as soon as a few weeks from now. Via Autosport:

Marquez hopes to be able to return for the Czech Grand Prix at the start of August, though Marquez’s doctor, Xavier Mir, admits his recovery could be delayed by a further three to four weeks if he has damaged the radial nerve.

Speaking to Radio Catalunya, Mir said: “Marc won’t be at Jerez and the goal is for him to be able to run again at Brno.

“It is an injury of some importance. If the nerve is not affected, we will be able to stabilise the fracture and reduce the deadlines [for recovery].”

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Marquez is certain to miss this weekend’s Andalusian Grand Prix, but if he comes back at Brno, that will be the only race he’ll miss. With his victory, meanwhile, Quartararo became the first Frenchman to win a top division race in 21 years, since Regis Laconi at Valencia in 1999 before MotoGP was named as such.