Marc Marquez Wins at MotorLand Aragón

The last time I cried, not involving a death, was when Marc Marquez claimed victory at the Sachsenring Circuit in 2021. I remember it like it was yesterday. He had the lead, but Miguel Oliveira had cut it to less than a second. I was resigned to the fact that victory was lost. Still, Marquez, being Marquez, held off Oliveira with one good arm—like the fictional character Richard Kimball in The Fugitive — and secured the victory. One more victory and two arm surgeries later brings us to a sunny afternoon in Spain 1,043 days later, and Marc Marquez wins and is again on the top step of the podium at MotorLand Aragón.

1,043 days! Three long years that had Marquez questioning retirement, his health, and everything else that goes through the mind of an eight-time World Champion.

Marquez’s predicament was special because this journey started during a worldwide pandemic. Even the biggest MotoGP fans miss races because of schedule conflicts, family vacations, etc. But when the entire world is shut down and your viewing options are limited, the entire world is pretty much watching and taking the journey with you.

They were—okay, maybe it was just me—but I was eagerly awaiting the results of his fourth surgery in the United States at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. This surgery was pretty much it for him, and thank the universe, it was a success. Now Marc could go out and start winning again!

Not so fast! While Marc was back in shape and ready to take on the world, his bike had different ideas, most notably his horrific crash in Indonesia, which saw him attempt to join the Indonesian Space Program because he was so high in the air.

It seemed that the Honda needed repairing in the same vein as his arm, but alas, there was no “bike doctor,” and Marquez suffered. We went on that journey with him.

You don’t forget how to ride like a champion, so it was difficult watching Marc take beating after beating on a bike that was incapable of winning.

This reality was never more evident than a July weekend in Germany when, after crash after crash, Marquez simply held his head down and seemed to say with his body language, “I’ve had enough!”

The blogs, podcasts, and word on the street all seemed to hint that maybe the end was near. What did Marc have to prove? He was already an eight-time World Champion. Just bow out gracefully; you’ve got plenty of money.

But to tell you the truth, I had a pit in my stomach that he was going to walk away. I remember landing in Valencia, Spain, for the last race of the season and hearing that Jorge Lorenzo had called a “special conference.” We all knew what that meant. In the same vein as your girlfriend saying, “We need to talk,” or your momma saying, “Remember what I said I’d do if you came home and those street lights were on—well, guess what!”

Kinda like that!

I kept waiting for that presser. It came, but not like I thought it would. It was to announce “Marquez was leaving Repsol Honda!” Not retirement, but damn near close. It was late in the season; where would he go? This announcement was MotoGP’s version of Michael Jordan leaving the Bulls. “Where’s he going to go?”

For me, it meant “no retirement”! Whew! I didn’t want to have to start crying again. It was almost fun to speculate where he would end up. I took that journey with him.

And in the midst of surgeries, a bad bike, and a mystery new home, the victories were passing him by. The occasional podiums in Motegi and Phillip Island showed that Marc could still be Marc, but time waits for no one.

When it was officially announced he would go to Gresini Ducati, I was happy for him, but… had the alarm clock expired on his time?

Everyone has their time, and when that time is up, it’s best to acknowledge it and move on with life. Marquez himself said as much. But to us fans—well, me!—we’re greedy. Marc Marquez is my Champion! I want him to be the old Marc. I want to see him win again.

It seemed the sport had picked up some hungry young lions—Fabio, Martin, that new rookie Acosta, and maybe the future G.O.A.T., Pecco Bagnaia.

The sport was in good hands. Could Marc show the hunger that got him eight World Championships and compete with these new young guns? He was now in his early 30s and in love. Love makes walking away from something a little easier, and maybe this is what life has become for Marc. I couldn’t blame him if that were the case. After all, I’m writing about him in a single-bedroom apartment while he’s actually with his girlfriend, probably “snugged up!” The life of a champion.

We all wondered if another victory would ever come, and on September 1st, 2024, our questions were answered. Marquez dominated. Nothing was even close. Qualifying, the Sprint Race, the Race—it was a clean sweep of wins for Marc Marquez.

I didn’t cry—not because I didn’t want to, but because of the journey I’d taken with Marc. He was happy in all aspects of his life and welcomed it with open arms. You could tell he savored this victory like the last piece of pizza to a wrestler who just made weight!

He was grateful for the victory, and I was grateful to be able to go on this journey with him, to celebrate with him from an ocean away.

As I continue to heal from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, I drew strength from Marquez. Watching his journey gave me strength for my own.

As a sports hero? There is no one better. I just hope it doesn’t take another 1,043 days for more wins to come for Marc Marquez.

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