“Nothing’s broken inside, and nothing’s even bruised,” reports Marco Fetz. The IDM Superport 600 rider crashed in the fifth lap of the first race at the TT Circuit in Assen a week ago due to a highside. The Yamaha rider had to be treated at the medical center for severe pain in his knee and discomfort in his lower back.
Over the next few hours, the 19-year-old went through an enormous number of ice packs, but after intensively cooling his knee, Fetz received clearance to start the second race during Sunday’s checkup at the Medical Center. He completed six laps in the warm-up. The pain in his knee had subsided, but his back was making itself felt more strongly. Fetz gritted his teeth for 13 laps. The reward: six championship points in the IDM Supersport 600.
Back home, he still had to get an MRI scan because of his knee. The scan produced cross-sectional images of his knee. “It’s basically okay, just badly bruised,” says Fetz, relieved. The industrial mechanic apprentice didn’t miss a beat in terms of experience in Assen. He now also knows what it’s like to ride “old school”—that is, without an automatic gearbox or a blipper. During free practice, the electronic aids were still out of commission. “That makes up for almost a second per lap.”
After an unfortunate weekend, the IDM Supersport 600 rookie is currently twelfth overall in the highly competitive class. A top-ten finish is within reach at the season finale in Hockenheim (September 27–29, 2019).