Marquez, 17, set to complete historic Spanish sweep

Teenager Marc Marquez looks poised to complete a Spanish sweep of motorcycling categories as he leads the 125cc going into the final round of the world championship series in Valencia, tomorrow.

Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo and Toni Elias have already claimed the MotoGP and Moto2 categories respectively, with the battle for the 125cc crown going down to the wire between their countrymen Marquez and Nicolas Terol.

Marquez has a comfortable 17-point lead and even if Aprilia’s Terol wins the Valencia race, the Derbi rider would take the title with an eighth-place finish.

If Terol fails to finish in the top two, 17-year-old Marquez will also win and become the second youngest rider, after Italy’s Loris Capirossi in 1990, to claim the category.

In MotoGP, Lorenzo will be bidding to finish his season on a high in front of his home fans, but he does not have a good record on the Ricardo Tormo circuit, having never won there in any category.

If he makes it onto the podium he will beat Valentino Rossi’s points record for a season.

Italian Rossi, who has won four MotoGP titles with Yamaha during the past seven seasons, will be completing his final laps for the Japanese stable before heading for Ducati.

If he becomes world champion next season Rossi would be the first rider to win the top category with three teams – Honda, Yamaha and Ducati.

“My last race with Yamaha and it will be an emotional weekend for all,” Rossi, who won in Valencia in his first season with Yamaha in 2004, told MotoGP.com.

“Of course, I would really like to try to win this final race because it would be a great end to this partnership, which has had so many beautiful moments.”

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa has won three times on this circuit, including last year in the MotoGP.

Still hampered by a collarbone injury, he will bid to hold on to his runner-up spot in the world standings by protecting a 19-point lead over Rossi.