Marco Bezzecchi
Peter Bom believes Marc Marquez’s injury woes are not going away any time soon, and his crash at the Spanish Grand Prix is the clearest sign yet.
It was a weekend of two halves for Marc Marquez at Jerez. On Saturday, he battled through his rivals and the weather conditions, with Marquez winning the Spanish GP sprint race.
However, despite starting on pole on Sunday, Marquez would crash early in the Spanish Grand Prix, clearing the path for his brother, Alex Marquez, to win the race for the second year in a row.
Marc Marquez has never come back from a deficit larger than 37 points
With the gap to Marco Bezzecchi now 44, are his title hopes over?
Given the gap between him and Marco Bezzecchi, not to mention his age and wear and tear on his body, many believe Marquez missed his last chance at a MotoGP title with his crash.
But Peter Bom believes the issues are far deeper than that, as Marquez’s fitness issues are persisting, and they cost him the race at Jerez.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez’s biggest MotoGP title comebacks with Marco Bezzecchi now 44 points ahead
Peter Bom claims Marc Marquez showed he can’t compete for MotoGP championship at Spanish Grand Prix
Speaking on the Oxley Bom MotoGP podcast, Peter Bom addressed Marc Marquez’s crash at the Spanish Grand Prix and why it may have occurred.
He believes Marquez is still struggling with injuries, which led to his crash. Furthermore, if his injuries are still bothering him, Bom doesn’t see the Spaniard turning things around later in the season.
“That is the ultimate battle for the world championship. And I think we said it before in last week’s podcast. We’re not so sure how fit Marc actually is. Is he really able to fight for a championship?
“In Jerez, we’re going to see it, because if he’s not fit in Jerez, so many months after the accident, then why should he be fit in another one or two months?
“I think his crash is because he’s not fit. The super fast kinks in Jerez… The guy is still super sharp as we saw. He is still super sharp. But sharp is one thing, having the strength to do this super quick movement on the right timing, the strength is failing.”
READ MORE: Alex Marquez says Marc Marquez’s data at Spanish Grand Prix looked ‘strange’
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Peter Bom details how Marc Marquez couldn’t complete ‘damage control’ effort at Jerez
Speaking further in the podcast, Peter Bom noted that Marc Marquez was unable to get the bike at the right angle, despite only trying to do damage control and not go for the win.
“For me, he was just a bit off line, did not have the bike at a good angle, opened the gas, pushed out the front tyre, and gone… But this Marc, and in the first corner, he knew he was not going to win this. He was trying to do damage control and still crashed.”
For a rider of Marquez’s pedigree and legacy, a performance like the one he had on Sunday is bound to be frustrating.
Like many legendary riders before him, Marquez is having to come to grips with the fact that his body is no longer able to handle the stress that comes with being a MotoGP rider.
This incident could prove to be the turning point in his career, as Marquez may decide to not to try and compete for championships, but continue riding for his own happiness.
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