A little more than a year ago, when mud devastated the community of Valencia. paddock MotoGP athletes lived thousands of kilometers away in Malaysia, suffering and feeling helpless as the tragedy unfolded. The Ricardo Tormo circuit could have celebrated the last grand prix on the track despite the property damage, but drivers were bullish when it was initially suggested that the race continue. The general feeling, and it grew stronger as the days went on, was that the party was of no use as the area was destroyed and neighbors focused on the task of reconstruction.
Of the 229 people killed, more than 30 lost their lives near the route. It is bounded to the west by the towns of Cheste and Chiva, and to the northeast by the flooded and devastating Poyo Valley. A-3 to the south was a deadly trap for many on October 29th. “We had to do something. We knew from the first moment that we could not stand still in the face of the disaster we were experiencing. It was happening in a land that we loved so much and had given us so much, in a land that we loved so much and had given us so much,” says Algila resident Jorge Martínez Aspar.
The former 125cc world champion has managed to raise 300,000 euros through his team competing in the Moto2 and Moto3 categories. The donations were to help return furniture and appliances to more than 220 families in Alchemesi and Guadassuar. “We would like to thank the over 2,300 people who have donated grains of sand to our campaign and the thousands of volunteers who left the comfort of their homes to work together and rebuild our town, something we will never forget,” added the Spanish motorcycling legend. Other champions such as Jorge Martín and Marc Marquez also made personal donations to various towns and schools in the affected areas, and several members of the organization also made personal donations. paddock People living in the area also took part in the reconstruction efforts with shovels in hand.
Following the lead of the team with the strongest ties in the region, MotoGP was able to react in time by choosing to cancel the Valencia Community Grand Prix after several meetings with the authorities. The event has announced that it will hold a Solidarity Grand Prix at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, replacing what has been a closing event since 2002. All proceeds from the event, more than 1.6 million euros, were donated to the region through the municipalities of Ciba and Cheste. “People have worked hard and we will get back to where we were. Our grain of sand is important and we think we have helped as much as we can,” praised Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, the championship’s promoter.
“Valencia has always been a special place for MotoGP and we have been in Ricardo Tormo for over 25 years. When we learned what happened, we wanted to do an act of solidarity that was very well received by the entire MotoGP family. We wanted to focus our support on these two towns because they have given us so much love over the years and we hope many more,” added the executive who recently visited the towns around the circuit. In March 2025, the promoter formally announced the renewal of its contract with Route until 2031, in a major boost to the region’s recovery, as more than half of the circuit’s economic activity is concentrated around motorcycle grand prix events.
The reconstruction mission of parking And three of the four accesses to this route began immediately after the tragedy. On October 29th, the 88 operators at the circuit had to sleep in a facility isolated from the outside world. Fortunately, there was no loss of life along the route. “We didn’t realize the magnitude of the disaster until the next day,” said Ricardo Tormo director Nicolas Collado. In just one month, the main access was repaired and the route resumed activity at a minimal level. “Our circuit officials have been dedicated over the past year, and I know they have given their heart and soul to this great challenge. We are very grateful to everyone.”
Geologists investigated the safety of the land occupied by the runway and found no significant damage or risk of sinking. We then worked with the Autonomous Authority of Valenciana, the Waterways Federation and other key institutions to create new accesses and safer parking spaces, paying particular attention to the bridges and breakwaters in the valleys surrounding the route. Still, the green light to welcome back most fans and thousands of residents. paddock It didn’t arrive until this week. “The response from fans and riders has been fantastic, with record attendance on Friday and seeing the already full stands filled this Saturday is something exciting and says a lot about how motorcycles are experienced here,” Corrado emphasizes. “As several riders have told us, MotoGP would not be understood without Valencia. This message has reached our hearts after all the hard work this year.”
With more than 200,000 visitors expected over the whole weekend, fans were excited this Saturday by the record-breaking ‘pole’ of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), the fittest man in the championship, and his race to the championship. sprint Alex Marquez won on the Ducati authority of the Gresini team. “Two months after the tragedy, I was able to go for a ride at the Aspar circuit and understood the scale of the event. Everywhere I went, I could see the effects of the damage. It was shocking,” recalled the short event winner. “It’s great to be reunited with the Valencia players. We’re all very excited to be here again with over 90,000 friends in the stands,” added the world number two.
One year after the disaster, MotoGP was once again able to enjoy Valencia with all its fans. This Sunday’s race (2 p.m., DAZN and La Sexta) is expected to bring another full house to the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, arguably one of the great birthplaces of motorcycling in the world.
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