P132
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
T
he margins in MotoGP
have never been smaller,
the difference between
glory and humiliation remains
clear. The distinction has been
painfully defined for Johann
Zarco, and the Frenchman's
plight is a warning to all.
The news broke at the last
round in Austria that the erst-
while nascent superstar's
primrose path had in place of
prosperity and pleasure led to
a precipice. Now he has fallen
over it.
Fortunately, this is just figura-
tive. But it surely hurts just as
much as if it were literal, and
as if his successor as favored
French flier Fabio Quartararo
was leaning over the edge and
poking fun at him.
To sneer at Zarco would not
only be unpleasantly cruel, but
it would also be unwise. At the
same time, viewing this as a
temporary setback cannot be
done with complete confidence.
He is 29, among the older riders
on the grid, although still a strip-
ZARCO AND THE
PRIMROSE PRECIPICE
What road will Johann
Zarco travel now?