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FEATURE I 2025 CYCLE NEWS RIDER OF THE YEAR: MARC MARQUEZ
Right now, he has the best bike,
the best team and the best con-
fidence of his career. So, he can
play these games on the grid."
Even his rivals had to admit
the best man won. "More than
an athlete, he's a legend now,"
said Fabio Quartararo in Japan,
the scene of Marquez's emotion
-
al coronation. "He already was.
But from 2020 and the injury he
had, to changing teams in 2024,
the domination he showed this
year was amazing."
So, after four operations, two
serious eye injuries, 109 crashes
and a major manufacturer
switch in the past five years, how
has Marquez maintained the
hunger? Anyone that's crossed
him attests to a mental tough
-
ness that even Sheene and Doo-
han would have applauded.
"His mental side is like some-
thing I've never, ever seen,"
said Frankie Carchedi, his crew
chief at Gresini Ducati in 2024.
"[Previous riders I worked with]
weren't even close. We had a
few occasions when we crashed
both bikes in Qualifying and in
the race it was like nothing hap
-
pened. [It's] phenomenal."
Team manager at Repsol
Honda Alberto Puig agrees: "It's
been a real nightmare for this
guy. But [his comeback] didn't
surprise me at all. He's a really
special person with clear deter
-
mination. He never gave up."
CN
