This Saturday, 10th April, we have woken up to one of the most anticipated news stories in the Motorcycling world. Six-time MotoGP champion, Marc Márquez, has been cleared to resume competing by his doctors after his latest check-up last Friday at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid. His medical team, who operated on his humerus for the third time in December 2020, have been closely monitoring his recovery ever since. 

The news was confirmed by Repsol-Honda via a statement in which they explained that there was “evident progress in the bone consolidation process”, which has led surgeons to conclude that “Marquez can return to competition, assuming the reasonable risk implicit in his sporting activity”. 

The legend from Cervera will thus be present at the third event on this season’s calendar, the Portuguese GP, which is coming up next weekend, from April 16 to 18, at the Portimao Circuit. 

Initially, his team announced that Marquez had been summoned back by his doctors at the Madrid clinic next Monday 12th April. In theory, only then a decision would have been made regarding his imminent return to the competition or otherwise the need for him to wait a bit longer. For whatever reason, the decision has come ahead of schedule. There is, however, one last examination that the Spaniard has to face before stepping into his jumpsuit again. This will take place next Thursday, 15th April, at the Algarve. 

There he will be examined by the team of medical specialists of the MotoGP World Championship, which is led by Ángel Charte. They will have the last word as to whether Marc can definitely ride his wild RC213V again at Portimao. Having come this far, however, everything suggests that he will be given the go-ahead. Then, only one day later, on Friday 16th, the long-awaited moment will come when he finally climbs onto his beloved bike. 

The Catalan pilot is familiar with the track in Algarve despite not taking part in last season’s round in Portimao, by which time he had already been injured. He actually carried out some tests at that very same track just three weeks ago, as part of his recovery and readaptation process. During that Portuguese trial, he rode a Honda RC213V-S production bike, a true beast of the asphalt and probably the closest thing to the World Championship missile. The sensations in Algarve were very positive and raised the morale in the circle of Marc Marquez

His right arm was not yet ready to withstand another fall and so they decided he better sit out the first two rounds of the Championship. Now, on the other hand, and 48 hours ahead of schedule, the announcement that his legions of fans had been expecting for so long has finally arrived. Now it only remains to see what Marc Marquez’ state of form is as he measures himself against his rivals.

Honda´s statement

In the review carried out on Marc Marquez by the Hospital Ruber Internacional medical team, four months after surgery, led by Doctors Samuel Antuña and Ignacio Roger de Oña, and made up of Doctors De Miguel, Ibarzabal and García Villanueva, for an infected pseudoarthrosis of the right humerus, a very satisfactory clinical condition was found, with evident progress in the bone consolidation process. In the current situation, Marquez can return to competition, assuming the reasonable risk implicit in his sporting activity. 

Images of Marc Marquez: Repsol-Honda.