He had to wait almost two weeks, but Joan Mir finally had the party he longed for.
Over the past ten years the island of Mallorca has had a fair share of sports evenings.
Rafael Nadal was the orchestrator of part of them. Jorge Lorenzo brought them a motorsport identity.
Look beyond that, and despite being home to just 900,000 people, the island has produced world champions in basketball, bowling, kickboxing, taekwondo, bodybuilding, chess, kayaking, trial biking, golf, shooting, swimming, and even spearfishing.
But on Friday there was a big Balearic bash on the streets of Palma in honor of their newest hero.
For many, at just 23, it could be the first party for many.
I raise his arm to the crowd while he’s partying in Mallorca
(Image: Joan Llado / GTres / SplashNews.com)
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On the subject of matching items
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On the subject of matching items
“The trophy prizes in Mallorca are almost one of the most important in the world,” joked Mir as he looked forward to the festivities.
“I don’t know what we grow or what we eat in Mallorca, but there are a lot of really good athletes, also in football, in tennis, there are a lot of players and I’m happy to be part of this story of.” Mallorca. “
Hundreds of motorcycles gathered on the street in a Covid-safe but perfectly fitting parade to celebrate Mir’s victory.
I waited patiently for the party. It’s been a little over two weeks since he was named MotoGP’s most unlikely world champion.
His light blue Suzuki, bike number 36, was leading the way when he could finally blow off steam. Or at least tire smoke.
Mirs Ni.36 Suzuki led the way during the celebrations
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
I secured an unexpected but well-deserved world championship crown
(Image: Joan Llado / GTres / SplashNews.com)
I won the title with just one race win all season. But judging his successes based on these statistics is grossly unfair for him.
Consistency and discipline were the aim of the game – a craft mastered by Marc Marquez, whose injury at the end of the season earlier this season ripped open the championship race.
I’ve never been anyone’s favorite to take the title. Not many even thought he could fight for the top three.
But it was these two qualities – persistence and discipline – that set Me apart from the rest as he tried to stay one step ahead of his greatest rival: Covid-19.
I let off steam, or at least some tire smoke, during the festivities
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
I was made to wait almost two weeks for his homecoming party
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
As a result, he had to live like a hermit between races in his adopted home of Andorra.
“For me, Covid was the main competitor in the championship,” he said. “It’s the worst rival we could have this year.
“Usually we have pressure on the track, but at home we can relax. This year that was the main difference.
“We had the pressure because when you have Covid you don’t ride.
“I live in Andorra in the mountains. It’s good because you can run and go out with the dogs and enjoy different things to think about things that are not on the bike. That was the best I could do.”
In Austria, Mir believed for the first time that he could win the title.
While everyone was distracted by one of the scariest falls in MotoGP history with Valentino Rossi just inches away from a possible life-changing injury from a flying bike, Mir actually put a marker.
In Austria, Mir began to believe that he could win the title
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
In front of the red flag, he withdrew to the front of the field. When the race started again, he couldn’t regain the same momentum.
But inside he knew he had found a new level.
“I got a good feeling about the bike and everything,” he said.
“I think we showed really good potential on the motorcycle in Austria and almost won before the red flag.”
“At that point, I thought we had serious potential.
I secured his first race win in Valencia – and won the title there the next week
(Image: Getty Images)
It’s my first time to celebrate becoming MotoGP World Champion
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
I had doubts whether it was only on this track, but then Misano, Barcelona, was competitive on all these tracks and was able to score a lot of points on Fabio (Quatararo), the front runner. “
I had already taken the lead in the championship when he finally won his first race. The win in Valencia came in the 12th of 14 races of the season.
“It was a really great feeling. I was finally able to win and remove the doubts about winning the title without winning a race.”
“We showed that we were really the fastest of the year.”
Marc Marquez’s return presents a new challenge for the next season
(Image: REUTERS)
The task in 2021 is a little different. Despite coming into the season as a champion, all eyes will be on the returning Marquez, who will undoubtedly be the favorite.
But instead of fearing his return, I enjoy it.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I want Marquez back so I can learn from him.
“He’s the most competitive driver in recent years and it will be hard to beat, but we’ll try.”
“We have a great package, but to beat Marc we have to keep improving. We have to keep improving the bike.
The size of Mir’s accomplishments is finally sinking
(Image: Joan Llado / GTres / SplashNews.com)
“Suzuki is getting stronger every year so that’s an advantage.
“I think we can get stronger next year, but let’s celebrate this year first!”
And he celebrates.
“It’s getting emotional,” said Me 24 hours before the party started. “I think there will be a lot of people, but it will be strange … I want to do more things, celebrate more!”