Marquez Undergoes Shoulder
Surgery… Again
R
eigning MotoGP World
Champion Marc Marquez
went under the surgeon's knife
after concluding the last tests
of 2019 to repair damage to his
right shoulder, almost exactly
after a similar operation to his left
shoulder at the end of 2018.
The operation was conducted
in Barcelona by Dr. Xavier Mir,
the riders' favorite orthopedic
surgeon, and was described as
similar to that of the year before,
but "less aggressive in nature."
It still means another winter of
pain and recuperation, although
with less invasive surgery, recov-
ery should be quicker. Marquez
said at the end of his record-
breaking 2019 season that he
had only felt fully recovered at
the start of the European season
at Jerez in May, after winning
one of the three opening flyaway
rounds.
The injury was blamed on
his heavy qualifying crash at
the Malaysian GP, as well as a
free practice crash earlier at the
Thailand GP. He shrugged it off
to finish second in Malaysia and
first two weeks later at Valencia.
Another fall on the first of two
days of testing at Jerez aggravat-
ed the injury; and while the Rep-
sol Honda rider was out again on
the second day, and topped the
time sheets, the news came after
an early finish after rain struck,
keeping most riders in their pits
for most of the day.
Marquez was expected to be
released from the hospital within
three days of the operation.
Michael Scott
IN
THE
WIND
P42
He's a tough nugget, but two major
shoulder operations in two years
must be getting old for Marquez.
