Marc Marquez made a fair claim for Save of the Century on Friday at Brno – losing the front at the top of the hill, and to all appearances having actually embarked on a typical low-sider crash when he managed to pick the bike up with his knee and shoulder, and regain traction and control. By then he was heading off the side of the track, but by sheer luck the pit lane entrance gave him an escape road.
The rider admitted that he also thought he had crashed, but pointed out that this save was in some ways less miraculous than one captured on still photography in testing at Brno in 2014. The advantage this time was it had been captured on HD video.
“The slide this time was very long, but the angle of the bike was 67.5 degrees,” he said. “In 2014 it was more than 68 degrees.”
While Lorenzo spoke disapprovingly of Marquez “taking a lot of risks”, Rossi was one of many admirers. “It is something he does a lot,” he said. He had been able to save it “because of his position on the bike, and because of his talent.”
Asked if he could accomplish something similar, he laughed and said: “I don’t know. But I ride a bit slower, so I don’t lose the front.”
By Michael Scott
Marquez, Czech MotoGP 2016