Alex Marquez gets off lightly after his crash in Barcelona – Nevertheless, the injury is forcing him to take a break – Two races are already affected
Alex Marquez came through the serious crash at the MotoGP race in Barcelona relatively unscathed, given the shocking images. A fracture of his right collarbone was surgically stabilized with a plate.
He also sustained a minor fracture of the C7 cervical vertebra. Doctors decided to allow this injury to heal naturally for now. Ongoing examinations have been announced.
Alex Marquez was able to return home to Madrid as early as Monday afternoon. On Thursday, his Gresini team posted a photo on Instagram with a brief update.
The photo shows Alex Marquez with team manager Michele Masini and his crew chief Donatello Giovanotti. Alex Marquez is standing in the middle, wearing a neck brace and with his right arm in a sling.
In the post, the Gresini team confirmed that he will sit out the race weekends in Italy (Mugello) and Hungary (Balaton Park). Following this double-header, the Czech Republic Grand Prix is the next event on the MotoGP calendar.
The Motorcycle World Championship will be held in Brno from June 19 to 21. It remains to be seen whether Alex Marquez will be able to return there. The Gresini team must name a replacement rider for Mugello and Balaton Park.
It has not yet been announced who this will be. When Fermin Aldeguer was unable to compete at the season opener in Thailand following his leg fracture over the winter, Gresini turned to Ducati test rider Michele Pirro as a replacement.
His brother Marc Marquez is also currently sidelined. The world champion broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot in a crash at Le Mans (France). He has already undergone surgery for this injury.
He also underwent surgery on his right shoulder to remove a broken screw that was pressing on a nerve in his arm. Ducati has not yet announced when Marc Marquez will return to racing.
Johann Zarco, who injured his left leg—specifically his knee—in an accident in Barcelona following the restart, will also be sidelined for an extended period. It is currently impossible to predict how long the veteran rider will have to take a break.
After spending a night in a hospital in Barcelona, Zarco returned to his home country of France on Monday. On Tuesday, he was examined by Dr. Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet at the Santyin Orthopedic Center in Lyon.
The LCR team issued the following statement: “Following a thorough examination, it is expected that Zarco will have to wait several more weeks before he can undergo surgery for his knee ligament injuries.”