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FEATURE I 2025 CYCLE NEWS RIDER OF THE YEAR: MARC MARQUEZ
For four years Marquez was living a
personal hell. One injury comeback was
curtailed by another. He missed 50 percent
of the 52 GPs from 2020 to 2022. He then
returned only to find his strength and mobil-
ity greatly diminished, and the threat on his
career was never far away.
As former teammate Pol Espargaro
spelled out, "At one stage, he was risking
losing the arm. It wasn't ready, and one more
crash on it and it'd be super, super critical."
Such complications coincided with the
advent of Honda's worst spell in Grand Prix
racing since the late 1970s. When the worst
of the injuries were behind him, there was
the unwelcome sight of Marquez struggling
to make the top six through 2022 and 2023.
(Above) Marc
was all smiles
for almost the
whole year. Even
after being taken
out by Marco
Bezzecchi in
Indonesia and
missing the last
five races, he
still won the title
by 78 points.
(Right) It's
amazing to think
of the trials and
tribulations that
befell Marquez
just after this
photo was
taken at Jerez
in 2020. Ahead
lay an injury
and emotional
hell few could
imagine.
