Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Barros referenced his own history with shoulder injuries and how he feels Marc Marquez will fare with his injury struggles.
Marquez’s shoulder injuries have been discussed quite a bit amid his struggles to perform at his usual high level this season.
Some believe Marquez’s shoulder injury impedes his braking, which led to his errant crash during the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend.
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Marquez blamed himself for his crash, holding himself to such a standard that he deems an issue like the one he had at Jerez unacceptable.
But Marc Marquez must go easy on himself, as he still hasn’t fully recovered. In fact, one former MotoGP rider who has struggled with these injuries believes Marquez needs a lot more time to get back to 100%.
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Alex Barros explains why Marc Marquez needs ‘a year’ to get healthy from shoulder injuries
Speaking to Nico Abad, former MotoGP rider Alex Barros was asked about Marc Marquez’s performances this season, and what he’s made of his run so far.
Barros joked that Marquez’s bad luck with his injuries is being reflected in his performances. Furthermore, touching on his own experiences with shoulder injuries, Barros noted that Marquez needs almost a whole year to be fully healthy again.
“I’m starting to enjoy Marc’s bad luck (laughs). We have really bad luck with everything. Sometimes, it happens, but I have to say that today, given everything that’s happening, it shows in your physique.
“I’ve had problems with my shoulders, I’ve had surgery, and I know it’s very complicated. When I found out that he had tendon problems, it usually takes a year to recover 100%.
“Before that, you won’t get it back. There’s no way to recover fully. 80%, 90%? Maybe, but 100% is hard.”
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Alex Barros still backs Marc Marquez to win the MotoGP world championship
Speaking further during the interview, Barros noted that Ducati’s recent progress during the tests at Jerez suggests they can give Marquez everything he needs to fight back and win the world title.
“Anyway, I have to put my chips in on the championship as it is today. I would put it on Marc because I know Ducati has made some jumps on Monday. I’ve already seen some positive things.
“We know Aprilia is very strong. But Alex won on a Ducati in an extraordinary race there. MotoGP is beautiful because we have competitive motorcycle brands, and as a fan, I would like all the brands to be competitive.”
Marquez was complimentary of Ducati’s progress after the tests on Monday, suggesting that he had a renewed sense of confidence in his team.
Perhaps the French Grand Prix next weekend could give him the opportunity to chip away at the 44-point gap between him and current championship leader, Marco Bezzecchi.
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