Jorge Lorenzo picks Marc Marquez over Valentino Rossi as his toughest MotoGP opponent

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Jorge Lorenzo says Marc Marquez’s never-say-die attitude made him the most formidable opponent he faced as a MotoGP rider.

Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa fought a rookie Marquez for the title in 2013, a battle that went all the way to the final race in Valencia. The newcomer prevailed, launching a run of six titles in seven seasons.

In 2015, Lorenzo and Yamaha interrupted that streak. The Palma native is one of only two riders to beat a fully-fit Marquez over a season, alongside Jorge Martin.

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Indeed, Lorenzo conquered each member of the ‘fantastic five’ during his career, a unique feat. He joined Marquez at Honda in 2019 but after an injury-hit season in the midfield, he retired from MotoGP.

Jorge Lorenzo says Marc Marquez was the ‘most complicated’ rider he battled

On the eve of the new MotoGP season, Lorenzo spoke to Spanish publication SPORT and was asked which opponent ‘demanded’ the most from him off the track.

Lorenzo was involved in a bitter rivalry with Dani Pedrosa, starting in the lower classes, and also had several memorable duels with Valentino Rossi.

But Marquez’s refusal to accept defeat, even when he was on an inferior motorcycle, made him the most ‘complicated’ adversary.

• READ MORE: Jorge Lorenzo ‘immediately’ realised he was in trouble when he joined Marc Marquez at Honda

Lorenzo said: “I’ve had many [opponents]: from Dani Pedrosa in 250, to Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi or Marc Marquez. But maybe Marquez never gave up, he always wanted to beat you.

“It was indifferent if the bike was not going well or if the circuit was not good for him; he always wanted to beat you. That was very complicated on a psychological level.”

Jorge Lorenzo’s motorhome secret epitomises rivalry with Valentino Rossi

There was ‘total tension’ between Lorenzo and Rossi during their MotoGP careers, most notably when they were teammates at Yamaha.

A wall was famously erected in the garage during their first stint together, officially because they were racing with different tyres. Each rider boasts two titles from the partnership: Rossi in 2008 and 2009, and Lorenzo in 2010 and 2015.

In a telling insight into their competitiveness, Lorenzo installed a cryosauna in his motorhome to aid his recovery but kept it a secret from Rossi. They grabbed any possible advantage they could find.