If there's one thing I can say about most riders I've ever known at any level, it's that many of us have a wicked sense of humor, especially if the topic is ourselves. Call it a coping mechanism, call it what you like; I'm sure a mental health professional could (and would) have a field day.
But if you need a case in point, all you need to do is see Troy Bayliss' most recent Instagram post, where he shared a post-crash photo with a prime example of the kind of humor I'm talking about in the caption. Granted, most riders I know aren't also three-time WSBK champs who also raced in MotoGP, but I'd say it's probably the sense of humor that unites many of us, rather than necessarily having insane levels of racing talent.
If you're at all squeamish, you may or may not want to look at the photo Bayliss posted, as it looks pretty painful. Now's your chance to look away. I promise I'll share the caption in quotes in a paragraph below if you'd rather skip the imagery.
Ready? Here goes nothing.
Bayliss' caption reads, "Went for a spin in the meat wagon yesterday, thanks to the people who spotted me having a sleep on the track, 7 ribs, punctured lung and collarbone, and just beat up." The words are followed by an OK fingers emoji and a checkered flag emoji, which probably won't display properly if I try to type them here.
The comments are a veritable who's who of international racing legends, both past and present. Everyone from Max Biaggi to Cal Crutchlow to Randy Mamola to Maria Costello to Mick Doohan and more have all dropped in to wish the champ speedy healing.
It's particularly rough, given that Bayliss had already suffered a broken ankle earlier in the year, and was literally only back on the bike for a couple of weeks before this crash happened. I'm not a racer and have never been a racer, but I can relate to how frustrating it is to be sidelined from riding by an injury. To end up with an even more serious set of injuries so soon after getting back on a bike must be nothing short of maddening.
We at RideApart add our voices to the throng calling for speedy healing, and send the Aussie racing legend our best.
