‘Pirro and Marquez had a dose of luck’
‘Pirro had earlier set a top speed of 220.7mph’
Two incidents last week threw a clear focus on the perils of motorcycling. One had tragic consequences, the other was the luckiest of escapes. Tragedy first: a sadly all too typical result on the unforgiving and unprotected Isle of Man. It cost the life of 130-club member and local resident Dan Kneen. So sad.
The other incident was much happier, though no less frightening, for it took place at the fastest spot in motorcycle racing.
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro had earlier in the afternoon set a top speed there of 220.7mph, narrowly eclipsed by fellow Desmosedici rider Dovizioso at 221.5, a new record.
A lap or two later, a front-end wobble over the blind bumpy brow immediately preceding the braking zone (to less than 60mph) spread his brake pads. His first handful brought the lever back to the bars. The second, now more than urgent, locked the front so violently that the bike took a vicious forward groundloop, flinging the 31-year-old Italian high, far, and very fast. He landed hard, still on the asphalt, and was instantly unconscious. This led to worrying moments as the red flags came out and he was treated behind screens by the medics. Amazingly he regained consciousness before he was put in an ambulance, and even more amazingly his worst injury appears to have been a dislocated shoulder, which was popped straight back into place. He was at the track on Sunday.
It looks like Pirro set another new record. Hitherto the fastest bike crash, at the same place and for a similar reason, was recorded by Marquez in 2013, at 209.4mph. He raced two days later, the difference being that he jumped off, rather than getting violently thrown.
But there is another common denominator at work; one involved every time any rider falls off a motorcycle, at any speed.
Of course it helps to remove objective dangers, replacing stone walls with gravel traps; and to reduce subjective risks with modern safety equipment including air-bag leathers.
The other factor is blind luck. Both Marquez and Pirro had a healthy helping of it. Sadly it went the other way on the Island.