LCR BOSS PROVIDES JOHANN ZARCO UPDATE AFTER CATALONIA TURN 1 INCIDENT

LCR MotoGP boss gives Johann Zarco update after scary Turn 1 crash

Johann Zarco crashes at the 2026 Catalan MotoGP
© Gold and Goose

LCR MotoGP team boss, Lucio Cecchinello, says Johann Zarco has pain “in the femur area” after a scary incident during Sunday’s Catalan Grand Prix.

The race was red-flagged on lap 12 of 24 for a terrifying collision involving Pedro Acosta, whose KTM encountered an issue, and Gresini’s Alex Marquez on the back straight between Turns 9 and 10.

Alex Marquez was taken to hospital for checks, while the race was restarted again.

On this restart, Johann Zarco collided with Luca Marini and Pecco Bagnaia at Turn 1 at the start, and got tangled up with one of the bikes.

A red flag was flow again while Zarco received medical attention, with the Frenchman taken to hospital for further checks.

Replays of the second Red Flag crash 🚩

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— TNT Sports Bikes (@bikesontnt) May 17, 2026

2026 Catalan MotoGP incident
© Gold and Goose

Speaking to TNT Sport, Cecchinello offered an update on Zarco’s condition.

“Well, at the moment, he’s been taken to the local hospital,” he said.

“They will perform an MRI and scan to check exactly what he has.

“He has pain in the left leg. He has pain around the knee.

“But, fortunately, he has no concussion, he has no injuries in the upper part of the body, in the feet, in the ankle.

“Looks like he has pain, just in the femur area. I really hope there will be no bad news coming.”

Zarco had been having a strong weekend up to that point, qualifying fifth and finishing there in the sprint.

Prior to the first red flag, Zarco was inside the top six.

“Look, I was commenting that it was a perfect weekend for us: fifth in Friday practice, fifth in qualifying, fifth in the sprint, sixth with 2.8s after half a race,” Cecchinello added.

“It was really, really a pity that our weekend ended like this.”

Zarco suffered bruising on his foot from hitting debris when Marquez and Acosta collided, but was cleared to restart.

The FIM stewards' document notes that Zarco is due to face a hearing on the incident, but will only do so once he is available. 

- Lewis Duncan

ALEX MARQUEZ HUGE CRASH AT CATALONIA GRAND PRIX | MOTOGP

 

ALEX MARQUEZ INJURIES |

 

Alex has suffered a small C7 vertebrae fracture along with a broken right collarbone. The injury will be surgically treated using a plate to stabilize the shoulder area.

Alex is scheduled to have surgery today at the General Hospital of Catalonia.

Other medical evaluations will be done next week to monitor the progress of recovery.

A major blow after such a dramatic weekend...

Wishing Alex a speedy recovery and a stronger comeback.

#ForcaAlexMarquez 

CANARY ISLANDS REFURE TO HOST 2026 VUELTA A ESPANA AMID ONGOING CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING FORMER ISRAEL - PREMIER TECH

The Canary Islands have withdrawn their interest in hosting the 2026 Vuelta a Espana, citing political concerns linked to the continued presence of the former Israel - Premier Tech team in the professional peloton. Officials in Gran Canaria argue that the squad’s planned name change and shift in registered nationality for next season do not amount to a meaningful transformation.

Their stance contrasts with that of other regions — including Catalonia, which has accepted a Tour de France start following confirmation of the team’s rebranding — and has reignited debate over the place of the Israel structure in major cycling events.

Gran Canaria’s authorities point to the turbulence seen during the 2025 Vuelta, where several stages were disrupted by protests and the race ultimately ended with an improvised podium ceremony in an underground garage in Madrid. They maintain that a cosmetic administrative change is unlikely to prevent similar situations, and that aligning the island’s image with a potentially volatile edition of the race would be unwise.

The council also stresses that money was not the sticking point. Gran Canaria insists it had the organisational capacity and financial resources to host the race, as it has in previous years. The decision, they say, is based solely on avoiding reputational risk should new protests or disruptions arise.

Tenerife, meanwhile, has expressed disappointment at the collapse of a joint bid involving the Canary Islands government and the councils of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Gran Canaria’s withdrawal made the project unviable, leading to disagreements between institutions that had been hoping to bring the Spanish Grand Tour back to the archipelago.

There were numerous incidents involving the formerly named Israel - Premier Tech team during the 2025 edition, including the cancellation of Stage 21 in Madrid amid large-scale protests.

Why Gran Canaria said no

Speaking to La Provincia, Aridany Romero commented: “Several months ago, both the president — Antonio Morales — and I made clear that Gran Canaria did not want its name associated with the Vuelta a Espana while Israel-Premier Tech were competing.” On the team’s proposed changes, he added: “It is an attempt to whitewash, through sport, the genocidal actions of the state of Israel.” He continued: “They put ‘Israel’ on the jersey, and now, after everything that has happened these months, they have simply reverted to their previous position,” concluding: “At heart, nothing has changed.”

From Tenerife, Lope Afonso cautioned that “the latest developments do not bring good prospects” and said “the original plan falls apart” following Gran Canaria’s decision to step aside.

Scenes like these marred the 2025 Vuelta a Espana

- Kieran Wood

THE HISTORIC EMAIL THAT SNATCHED FUTURE BALLON D'OR CANDIDATE FROM ESPANYOL TO BARCELONA

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

In January 2015, a seven-year-old boy was making waves at CF La Torreta, a small club based in La Roca del Valles, Barcelona. 

Born in July 2007, his talent on the pitch was already impossible to ignore, attracting attention from some of the biggest youth academies in Catalonia. 

Coaches and scouts had started taking notice, recognising that this young footballer had exceptional potential.

Among those closely following his progress was Oscar Hernandez, who at the time was working as the coordinator of FC Barcelona’s under-10 team. He had been keeping tabs on this promising young player, convinced that he had come across a special talent.

A story that could have changed everything

However, in February 2015, he learned that CF La Torreta was on the verge of finalising a collaboration agreement with Espanyol. 

Realising that time was of the essence, Hernandez decided to act quickly. He sent an email to Marc Serra, who was formerly in charge of La Masia, urging him to arrange a trial for the youngster as soon as possible. 

He knew that if Barcelona did not move fast, the player could slip through their fingers and end up joining Espanyol instead. That boy was Lamine Yamal. 

Now, in 2025, he is 17 years old and regarded as one of the best footballers in the world.

The historic email

Recently Jijantes revealed the email Hernandez had sent, shedding light on how Barcelona secured one of their most prized talents. 

The message made it clear that there was a small window of opportunity to bring Lamine Yamal to La Masia before Espanyol formalised their agreement with CF La Torreta.

“We want him to come and try the child born in 2007. LAMINE YAMAL NASRAQUI EBANA (Prebenjamín “A”). At most in two weeks he would be here,” read the email. 

Following the email, Barcelona wasted no time. They arranged for Lamine Yamal to take part in trial matches, ensuring that they got ahead of Espanyol in the race for his signature. 

“We must do this management during this week since this club during the month of February will sign a contract of collaboration with Espanyol. Greetings, Oscar Hernandez,” it added.

By the age of 15, he had already made his first-team debut for Barcelona under Xavi. Meanwhile, Hernandez has since moved on from Barça’s youth setup. 

- Swapnil Bhopatkar

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