MotoGP champion Jorge Martin crashes in test to cast doubt on title defence

  • Aprilia rider hit the track face first as his helmet shattered
  • Spaniard has three weeks to recover before season starts

Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin fractured his hand and his foot which will both require surgeries after a nasty crash in pre-season testing in Sepang, Malaysia, on Wednesday, casting doubts on his title defence this season.

Martin, who made the switch from Pramac Racing to Aprilia after winning the 2024 MotoGP championship, lost control of his bike on turn two where a highside launched the 27-year-old into the air before he landed hard on the tarmac.

The Spaniard also hit the track face first as his helmet shattered and the session was briefly halted with red flags. He was taken to the medical centre by ambulance before being moved to the hospital for further checks.

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‘Boxers need protection’: new union to offer fighters PFA-like support

  • Global Fighters Association looks to football as model
  • Former middleweight Paul Smith says aftercare is needed

Paul Smith says the lack of care and protection for boxers “is not surprising anymore” and that the Global Fighters Association (GFA) will bring support to fighters.

Much like the Professional Footballers’ Association, the GFA aims to introduce a framework where financial support and adequate aftercare is offered to athletes. Retired middleweight Smith – brother to active British fighters Liam and Callum Smith – is one of the group’s founding members alongside the likes of Amir Khan.

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