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Marc Marquez thrown off his bike and into the air during practice

Fans and commentators held their breath as a MotoGP legend was violently thrown through the air after losing control of his bike.

2 min read
October 5, 2019 - 12:56PM
Marc Marquez thrown from his bike
Marc Marquez thrown from his bike

This is the sickening moment Marc Marquez came flying off his bike during a crash at the Thai Grand Prix.

The MotoGP legend was riding his Honda during the practice session today when he came off the track at turn seven.

Marquez’s bike flipped as it slid, sending the five-time champions hurtling through the air in a somersault.

The 26-year-old miraculously escaped injury at the Chang circuit in Buriram.

And after being taken to hospital, Marquez returned to get back on his bike and complete his practice session.

The Spaniard is thanking his lucky stars for the miracle, as he is on the verge of winning a sixth title as long as he finishes two points above Andrea Dovizioso this weekend.

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“It was around five seconds that I couldn’t breathe. For that reason, I was there on the floor, in the gravel,” Marquez said.

“And it’s only five seconds, but for me it was like twenty seconds there, because it was a big impact.

“The most important thing is that I’m okay, painful everywhere. But the biggest thing after the crash was that I couldn’t breathe, so this was the main problem.”

As for the accident itself, Marquez — who was on an out-lap — described the factors that may have contributed to what happened.

“It was new tyres, of course maybe the track was not clean enough, this is normal,” he explained.

“The main difference is that normally in that corner, we don’t close completely the gas. We close the gas a bit, but we don’t close. And in that lap, I closed the gas.

“When you close the gas, the engine brake is going in, and then is when I locked the rear. So it’s not a mechanical problem, it was more my mistake. But it was because I was riding slow.

“It was more maybe the tyre was not ready or maybe I was a bit on the dirty part of the track. So it’s difficult to understand.

“But in some laps, when I am racing fast, I also close completely, and nothing happened. But that time, maybe I was in a dirty place on the track or something like this.”

Marc Marquez's bike after the crash
Marc Marquez's bike after the crash

“We were lucky, but he is OK,” Honda boss Alberto Puig added.

“Marquez went to the hospital to check everything, they did an MRI and everything looks fine.

“He had some contusions in the back and also in the leg, and also in the hip a little bit, but nothing to be worried about.”

Marquez secured his eighth victory of the season at Aragon Motorland in Spain last month, a victory all but ending any lingering hopes Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci, Alex Rins, Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi still had of lifting the trophy.

He has his eyes on sealing the title in Thailand on Sunday.

It is the second time the Thailand MotoGP has been held at the Chang circuit in Buriram.

Marquez won the inaugural race last year in a thrilling last turn battle with Ducati’s Dovizioso, who sits second in the standings.

Buriram is in rural northeastern Thailand and has been transformed into a sporting hub by an extremely rich local bigwig with powerful political connections.

— with The Sun and AFP

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/moto-gp/marc-marquez-thrown-off-his-bike-and-into-the-air-during-practice/news-story/5b9f03e4b8f6705791f15bb16d7e0bd7