Marc Marquez declared fit to ride
UPDATE: Honda has confirmed that Marc Marquez will miss Friday practice and return on Saturday.
Just two days after undergoing surgery for a broken right arm, MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has been passed fit to try and attempt a shock comeback in this weekend's Andalucia MotoGP.
UPDATE: Honda has confirmed that Marc Marquez will miss Friday practice and return on Saturday.
Just two days after undergoing surgery for a broken right arm, MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has been passed fit to try and attempt a shock comeback in this weekend's Andalucia MotoGP.
The Repsol Honda star was injured in a 150km/h highside in the closing stages of last Sunday's Jerez season-opener, bringing a brutal end to what had been a brilliant recovery from 19th to 3rd.
Marquez's side of the Honda garage had already been packed up ahead of the second Jerez event, illustrating that even those closest to the #93 were expecting a return at Brno on August 7-9 at the very earliest.
Then came the news that Marquez hadn't given up on this weekend and he arrived back in the Jerez paddock on Thursday morning without even a sling on his arm.
A fitness test for Marquez, Cal Crutchlow and Alex Rins was then held in the early afternoon, after which Repsol Honda sent the following Tweet. Crutchlow (wrist fracture) and Rins (dislocated shoulder) have also been given the all-clear to take part in Friday practice.
Fit to ride pic.twitter.com/vOIvlCFkYF
— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) July 23, 2020
The last time a leading MotoGP rider made such an early return from surgery was Jorge Lorenzo in 2013.
Lorenzo broke his collarbone during day one at Assen, underwent surgery in Barcelona, then returned to claim fifth in the race.
However, the Yamaha rider then damaged the plate in his shoulder when he fell during practice for the following German round, forcing further surgery.
Lorenzo eventually lost the title to Marquez.
Marquez's 2020 title defence has got off to a disastrous start when he was injured during a huge highside in last Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
Pulling off his latest miraculous save while leading during the early laps, Marquez ran through the gravel trap and re-joined in 19th place.
The Spaniard then carved through the field to third, just behind Maverick Vinales, but was then launched into a huge highside at Turn 3 with just four laps remaining.
Hit by his RCV as he bounced through the gravel, Marquez immediately held his right arm and was clearly in pain as he waited for an ambulance on the service road.
Medical checks confirmed a fracture of the right humorous bone, for which Marquez underwent surgery to insert a titanium plate in Barcelona on Tuesday.
As well as the broken humerus, Doctors had raised the worrying possibility of some paralysis of the radial nerve. Fortunately, surgeons reported that the radial nerve was 'untouched and did not need intervention'.
Marquez was one of three riders injured during the opening round, with Suzuki's Rins dislocating his shoulder in qualifying and Crutchlow undergoing surgery for a fracture to the scaphoid bone in his left wrist.
The revised 2020 calendar features 13 rounds in the space of just 18 weeks with one weekend off after the second Jerez event, then a Brno-Red Bull Ring-Red Bull Ring tripleheader.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
