MotoGP: Horrible crash in Spain sends Alex Marquez into the wall, leaves bike destroyed
Spanish rider Alex Marquez was taken to hospital after a terrifying high-speed crash during the Catalunya Grand Prix on Sunday, May 17. The incident, which forced the race to be red-flagged midway through the contest, left Marquez with multiple injuries and his motorcycle completely destroyed on impact.
The crash occurred on the back straight of the circuit after race leader Pedro Acosta suddenly slowed down because of a technical issue with his bike. Marquez, who was following closely behind at high speed, had little time to react and slammed into Acosta from behind.
The impact launched Marquez violently off his motorcycle and into the barriers, while his bike flipped multiple times before breaking apart across the track. Debris from the crash scattered across the circuit and also struck other riders, including Fabio Di Giannantonio and Raul Fernandez.
Trackside medical staff attended to Marquez immediately before he was transported to hospital in an ambulance for further evaluation. According to his team, the Spanish rider suffered a fractured right clavicle and a vertebra injury. Marquez was scheduled to undergo surgery later on Sunday to stabilise the clavicle, while additional medical evaluations are expected next week.
Despite the severity of the accident, Spanish media reports stated that Marquez’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The chaos at the Catalunya Grand Prix did not end there. Another major crash during the restart led to a second red flag after Johann Zarco became entangled with another motorcycle in a horrifying incident.
Zarco’s leg reportedly got caught on the rear section of another rider’s bike as both motorcycles tumbled across the track. The French rider was initially taken to the circuit’s medical centre before later being shifted to hospital for further examination.
The race eventually resumed after lengthy delays, with Di Giannantonio recovering from the earlier incident to return to the grid and claim victory at the Catalunya Grand Prix.
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