Spain is in turmoil. Recent catastrophic flooding has caused untold damage to the Valencia region, seeing thousands displaced, missing, and dead. The death toll, unfortunately, keeps rising and will likely continue to do so in the coming weeks and search and rescue operations continue.
So it's understandable that MotoGP canceled the season finale in Valencia that was set to occur later this month, right? Well, the finale's cancellation only occurred after a group of the sport's riders told Dorna, MotoGP's organizer, that they wouldn't participate if MotoGP tried to still hold the race in the city, which is absolutely what they were originally planning. Only after mounting further pressure did MotoGP's Carlos Ezpeleta, the sport's boss, state that the finale wouldn't be held in Valencia this year.
As such, MotoGP was left without a location for the final race. A lot of folks thought the race would stay in Malaysia, the penultimate locale, and just hold a doubleheader. That'd be easier and smarter, and MotoGP could've maintained some semblance of respectability.
But in the most tone-deaf move I've witnessed in recent years, MotoGP will still try and go to Spain. It'll just be in Barcelona, a few cities over from Valencia.
Are you kidding me?
"We have been looking at all the possibilities we had, it is quite a challenge to organize an event in two weeks," stated Ezpeleta to Mundo Deportivo, adding, "But over the last 48 hours we have looked at all the possible alternatives and we believe that Barcelona is the best possible location given the proximity to Valencia, given that many people were already traveling to get to the final, and especially for the fans - we believe it is the best possible location for them. We also know that we will be able to help the Valencian community from that location."
That all sounds nice without context, but here's some to think about. The current death toll in Spain has reached into the 200s, with more missing, and thousands displaced by the flooding. Cities and towns were ravaged, buildings and bridges have collapsed, and the Spanish government brought in 10,000 troops to help restore order in the chaos, as well as repair power lines, and other basic utilities like water. The area is a disaster zone, with more rain and storms on the way for the entirety of the region.
And that includes Barcelona.
Update: MotoGP has confirmed Barcelona for the race. Story as written follows.
As you'd expect, people are grieving, attempting to salvage what they can from what used to be their homes, businesses, and lives, and, as you'd expect, are beyond angry toward the government they see as leaving them to fend for themselves.
Over the weekend, Spain's King and Queen toured the devastation and it did not go well.
According to the BBC, "The king and queen of Spain have been pelted with mud and other objects by angry protesters during a visit to flood-hit Valencia. Shouts of 'murderer' and 'shame' were directed at the royal couple as they walked through the town of Paiporta - one of the worst affected in the region. Objects were also thrown at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who was quickly evacuated." So yeah, it might not be a good idea to hold a race in Spain right now. But that's not stopping the series from attempting to move forward with the Barcelona race.
