News 12 Jun 2017

Dovizioso makes it back-to-back MotoGP wins in Barcelona

Alex Marquez wins Moto2 as Mir extends Moto3 advantage.

Source: Supplied.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) has taken an incredible second win of the season in the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya.

Dovizioso becomes the first Ducati rider to score back-to-back victories for the Borgo Panigale factory since two-time MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner achieved the feat in 2010.

Reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) left a spate of crashes in practice behind in the race to take second, with his teammate Dani Pedrosa completing the rostrum.

There was drama off the line as Pedrosa got a good start from pole and Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) almost clashed with fellow front row starter Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing), with Petrucci then making contact with Marquez. The Italian dropped back and the reigning champion pulled clear as Lorenzo attacked for the lead, taking over at the front.

Championship leader Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) found himself heading through the run off area at turn one off the start and dropping back, with the Spaniard then facing a fight back from outside the points after a tough weekend and teammate Valentino Rossi unable to make big progress from P13 on the grid either.

Lorenzo led Marquez and Pedrosa, with Dovizioso on the hunt in fourth and Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) a big gainer off the line to move up into fifth. Next it was Marquez who struck for the lead, with Pedrosa needing no invitation to follow him through. The ‘Spartan’ then lost out to Dovizioso as he began to struggle after the lightning start, as Folger and Petrucci were the next to get through.

Pedrosa then chose his moment to attack for P1, able to keep it as Dovizioso struck on Marquez, but the top three couldn’t quite yet begin to pull away from Folger in fourth, or ‘Petrux’ just behind. After a handful of laps playing high-speed chess, Dovizioso then went around the outside of Pedrosa to take the lead – pulling a small gap before Marquez followed the Italian through.

A three-way fight then broke out between Alvaro Bautista (Pull&Bear Aspar Team), Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Lorenzo for P6, with the squabble providing some spectacular wheel-to-wheel action and the Frenchman initially coming out on top. The drama wasn’t over, however, with some running out of rubber and some making big gains as the final laps approached, with Lorenzo on a charge back through and Folger one to fall back.

As ‘DesmoDovi’ arrived at the final lap clear in the lead, it became apparent the dream of Mugello wasn’t something the Italian yet had to wake from, crossing the line for his fourth career win. Marquez kept it calm to take second and get back on the podium after a tough Italian GP, with Pedrosa crossing the line in third.

Lorenzo sliced back through to take fourth at the flag, ahead of Zarco getting the better of Folger in a last minute duel between the Tech3 machines. Bautista, after a late run off at turn one, came home in P7. Rossi was eighth after struggling in the latter half of the race, Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) ninth in his 250th start and Viñales made it to the flag in 10th, taking a big hit on his points lead in the championship.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing), Scott Redding (Octo Pramac Racing), Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and home hero Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completed the top 15. EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Jack Miller crashed out of top 10 contention, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also failing to see the flag after retiring with a problem.

Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took a stunning second Moto2 win at his home Catalan GP, shooting away from pole position and never seen again. The race was the 250th start for the EG 0,0 Marc VDS outfit, with the 2014 Moto3 champion supplying plenty to cheer about for the second time this season.

Marquez crossed the line first ahead of Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), who followed up his home heroics and win in Mugello with another podium in second, with Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten) completing the rostrum in P3. Aussie Remy Gardner (Tech3 Racing) was P20.

Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) increased his advantage in the Moto3 title standings, taking a stunning win to go from third to first in the final sector of the last lap, just following the announcement of his move to Moto2 in 2018. Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold) was another late attacker to take second, with pole-sitter Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) completing the podium at home.

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