This weekend, I thought I saw Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi die.
The Italian MotoGP racer, who was leading the series for the title, was back on track after colliding with Marshall during the last round and being sent off the grid. And while fighting for position against Ducati’s Marc Marquez to score some much-needed points for his title aspirations, he bottomed out his Aprilia in a high-speed, fourth-gear corner, sending it flying.
I watched in horror as the rag-doll Bezzecchi wobbled through a gravel trap at the TT Circuit Assen, continued onto a paved escape road, went back through the gravel trap, and ended up crashing into the barriers. It wasn’t just a fast bottom section where we saw other riders just come and run to the pits to grab another bike and carry on. It was an impossibly fast low. The kind you don’t get away from, let alone survive.
Nevertheless, just a few hours later, Bezzecchi was recovered not only by trackside paramedics, but also by doctors from a nearby hospital. He was not quite right; He was not even injured. And that seemingly ridiculous miracle is not coincidental or even a miracle. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come in terms of motorcycle gear, its strength, flexibility, and ability to withstand even the worst crashes.
Gear is one of those things that the motorcycle community “thinks” about. Whether it’s the efficacy of helmet laws and chants of “My Freedom!” Or when you really want to believe that he’s indestructible in my own backyard, only to find out that I’m absolutely not. The reality is that gear, especially today’s gear, saves lives, saves your skin, and keeps you from possibly becoming a vegetable.
Suited and booted in Dennis’s latest race leathers and wearing an AGV helmet, Bezzecchi’s gear did exactly what it was designed for: It took the brunt of a 140 mph crash. His airbags deployed, the leather armor and inserts absorbed impacts and protected from the harshness of gravel and pavement, and his helmet kept his brain limited from the violence. This is not a miracle; This is materials science, and the technology that is incorporated into modern motorcycle gear.
Dainese, Alpinestars, REV’IT!, and every other gear manufacturer have progressed rapidly over the past twenty years. And light years beyond what was available when our parents first started riding. Helmet technology alone, whether it’s MIPS or just the chemical composition of EPS foam, is much better. And airbags now surround the rider’s chest and neck and legs. It’s absolutely amazing what the current era of motorcycle gear offers in terms of safety.
And, again, Bezechi is fine.
After seeing trackside doctors and then going to hospital to undergo some CT scans and further X-rays, Netherlands doctors sent Baez home. She later posted on her social media, saying, “Yesterday was very tough…time to endure the pain and suffering. Don’t give up! Thanks everyone for the support.”
