Marquez Halts London Crowds
There’s no doubting Marc Marquez’s status as the hottest MotoGP pilot since the heyday of Valentino Rossi last decade.
Regardless of losing at Brno two weeks ago, the Repsol Honda pilot won the opening 10 rounds of 2014 MotoGP – more than half of the season’s races.
And Marquez’s status as the most popular MotoGP pilot is evident in the Great Britain. As the riders arrived Wednesday in the UK for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the 21-year old literally brought London to a halt.
How? The reigning MotoGP Champion became the first person to ever cross the Millennium pedestrian bridge over the Thames River on a motor vehicle as he throttled across aboard his RC213V.
Once over the bridge, Marquez further satisfied the crowd with a smokey burnout in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral just across the Thames. At this point, Marquez was met by all the British riders competing in this weekend’s round (all classes). – Bradley Smith, Michael Laverty, Leon Camier, Sam Lowes, Gino Rea, Danny Kent and John McPhee. These Brits introduced the Spaniard Marquez to a UK tradition – fish and chips wrapped in newspaper.
“It was really nice to become the first ever person to cross the Millennium Bridge on a motorbike,” Marquez smiled. “This event was really important for MotoGP ahead of the British Grand Prix and we were very lucky with the weather – I normally expect rain in England!
“So to be here in the center of London on such a bright day, riding over the River Thames and making history was a memorable experience. The slippery metal surface of the bridge did not make it easy, but I went as fast as I could!”
