Another big name in motorcycle racing this week. He has been declared one of the most talented riders of our times. Multiple MotoGP Champion, we give you Marc Marquez.

Marc Marquez on podium in the USA

Marc was born on February 17, 1993, in a small town of Cervera de Catalunya, near Lleida and one hour drive from Barcelona. It didn’t take him long to get on a motorbike. In fact he was just 4 years old! He enjoyed the experience so much that he asked his parents for a bigger and faster one.

AT first he started with an enduro bike and in 2001 and won the title of Catalunya, which gave him good motivation for the future. He gradually tested other forms of two wheels on and off road and he was getting faster and faster.

He won the Championship of Catalonia in his debut year (2002), and then the Open RACC 50. It wasn’t long before he was moving up the series in Spain. He continued with 125cc on a KTM FRR and he rode against many promising riders on various tracks. The he started to win races, first one in Jerez, which will always mean something special to anyone racing motorcycles.

By 2008 there were plenty of people watching him, but one sponsor, Repsol together with KTM took him to race in the 125cc World Championship. He managed to get on podium after the first race and the rest is history as they say.

2010 was an unforgettable year for Marc as he started with Red Bull support and a change to Derbi bikes as he joined Ajo Motorsport. He finished the season as the Champion with 10 wins and 12 pole positions with the highlight at Estoril, but that’s another story.

He moved on to Moto2 for 2011 where he ended the season in a very respectable second position and he won the series the following year at just 19.

MotoGP Championship was the natural course for him where he won the Title on his fist attempt, making him the youngest ever MotoGP Worl Champion at just 20. Although everybody kind of expected Marc to fight for higher places in final standings, no one could have imagined that the young Spanish rider was going to make precedent and beat some of the greatest riders such as Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

But he didn’t stop there, he cruised through 2014 and in October, with three rounds to go, he became world champion again.

He holds a few records too. He is the youngest to win a MotoGP race. He is also the youngest to have ever won the Champioship. He is the only rider after Kenny Roberts to win the Title in his debut year. Also, he is one of four riders to have won world championship titles in three different categories, after Mike Hailwood, Phil Read and Valentino Rossi

His influence has worked wonders for his brother as Álex Márquez is now the 2014 Moto3 world champion.

Indeed, Marc has all conditions to be a true legend of MotoGP. Without a doubt, there’ll be more to come from him, who continues to live up to his reputation as the most talented rider in recent generations.

We wish him a many happy returns for his birthday this week as well as a safe and successful season ahead.

Books, media and merchandise on Marc Márquez here.

Marc Marquez the story here.
Battles on the track here.
BBC interview with Marc here.

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