Ana Carrasco makes incredible comeback from injury to win
Ana Carrasco’s remarkable journey from horrific spinal injuries to getting back on the top step again
‘It wasn’t a bad accident… I’ve had worse’
Last September, Ana Carrasco prematurely ended her Supersport 300 season following potentially life-changing back injuries which damaged her T3, T4 and T6 vertebrae and resulted in extensive surgery. Just over a week ago, she stormed back to the top of the podium at Misano. It’s all come full circle for the Spaniard whose background, and potentially her future, lies in the Moto3 World Championship. Forgetting Covid masks for a second, it’s rare you’ll see Carrasco without a smile on her face. Jovial, upbeat and intelligent, the 24-year-old from Murcia in south-eastern Spain who won the championship in 2019, has garnered a reputation as one of the smartest racers in a category which requires quick adaptation, forward-thinking and especially rapid reaction times.
MCN sat down with the Misano race winner to discuss her incredible comeback…
Ana, congratulations on your return to winning ways. How are you feeling?
Thank you! It’s very satisfying to win again. Physically, I’m still not 100%. When I ride I’m pretty good but still in some pain when I climb off the bike.
What do you remember about your accident in Estoril? Everything apart from the time between the impact and travelling to hospital. We had gone to Estoril to prepare for a new circuit for us. I didn’t know the track very well and the crash was my mistake: I went into a slower corner way too quickly. It wasn’t a particularly bad accident… I’ve had far worse.
I didn’t even highside! I flew into the gravel and crashed. I banged my head hard and my body twisted over my head. That is how the damage was done to my back. I remember waking up in hospital in Portugal and nobody from the team could visit me because of Covid rules. The next day I was transported to Barcelona and could have family in my room; it’s good they could because I needed help for everything!
What about the following days?
As you can imagine… they weren’t very good. I was in bed for a full week until my operation. After the surgery I tried walking with my physiotherapist but I could hardly do it, so then I spent even more days in bed.
How is training these days? Step-by-step. I couldn’t walk properly for some time, so I started swimming and gradually went back into the gym with the physio. In January I had another operation to remove the plate and screws from my back; since then the recuperation has been quicker and training has been more normal, like road cycling. I finally got back on a motorbike in February.
Two years ago you moved to Granollers in Catalonia. What is it like?
Being away from family is always difficult but it’s better for me career-wise to be around the team. I live 10 minutes from KRT’s (Kawasaki Racing Team) workshop; it’s great for catching up with my physio and also the mechanics who prepare the race and training bikes.
What do you make of Supersport 300 this year?
The level of competition has increased again and is very high. There are many competitive riders. To be honest, it’s made it far more difficult. The more riders in the leading group, the more complicated it is! It’s good to raise our level but tricky if you want to win the championship. It’s so tough to plan out a race.
Can the other riders be trusted? Not many! Tom [Booth-Amos] and Jeffrey [Buis] are sensible. With them, you know they want the title and they ride accordingly. You can clearly see who is thinking of the long game. The problem is you have people in front, behind and alongside you at almost every moment, so you can’t assess who is who. Another problem is those who will do anything just to win a race: they will either win or crash, so it’s key for not to be taken out.
Watching the second Misano race was scary…
I have watched it back and I agree. My opinion is that the organisers have worked very hard and successfully to make the bikes equal, which is what makes our class so entertaining. Because of this, Supersport 300 can be dangerous because we have a lot of bikes in very close proximity. However, we are seeing more and more riders pulling silly moves. We all want to win but there’s certain ways to do it in as safe a manner as possible. It’s difficult for Race Direction, trying to oversee 30 riders in a group, but I do feel the time has come to try and further control the situation.
Why is it that you and Tom BoothAmos can qualify quickly alone but everyone else is involved in chaotic groups looking for a tow?
I shouldn’t talk about talent specifically, but I do think some riders are more capable than others. It’s true that there are riders like Tom and myself who like to work alone. Others feel they need a slipstream, so they tag onto somebody else. That sometimes means, if everybody else is doing it, we might have to as well. But it’s clear that some riders are quicker and more experienced than others!
We believe you and Provec could make a move to Moto3…
Next year will depend on my results this year – that’s the same as always. Naturally, my objective is always to keep growing and move to another category. After what happened with my accident, 2021 is a test to be sure I’m still competitive. After a few more races we’ll start to think more about 2022 and what we will do next season.