It’s been an eventful seven days in the world of road racing. There’s been times of triumph and sadly, times of tragedy, a sobering reminder of the risks associated with motorsport.

Let’s look at MotoGP first, and the conclusion to the frenetic first half of the season which has been as exciting and eventful as we had hoped for. The net result is that Marc Marquez takes a strong points lead to the summer break, an incredible feat for a rookie but one that is thoroughly deserved.

Marquez was given a series of free kicks at goal over the past few rounds and has shown maturity beyond his years to realise this and capture every point possible without becoming complacent.

The battle between Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi at the corkscrew will be remembered for a long time to come. Image: MotoGP.com.

With three weeks for his primary title rivals to rest and recover it sets up an intriguing second-half of the season, and one in which he’ll have to withstand plenty more pressure if he is to go on to take the title. He would be the first to do so since Kenny Roberts back in 1978 if he does, an amazing feat but one which is surely is surely within his capabilities.

It’s the longest break we see in the MotoGP season but there will a lot going on behind the scenes. This time away from the racetracks will no doubt see a number of the existing contract negotiations solved, and by Indianapolis we should, or could have a better idea of where riders may be headed for 2014.

There’s talk revolving around the movements of Cal Crutchlow, who revealed today there are no less than five options on the table for him. Moto2 runners Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding should form a piece of the puzzle too. Interesting times, for sure.

Andrea Antonelli was tragically killed in the Moscow World Supersport race.

The Moscow round of the World Superbike Championship came to an abrupt and ultimately tragic end when a crash in the World Supersport race resulted in the death of promising Italian rider Andrea Antonelli.

Poor conditions meant much of the field was unsighted on the opening lap, and Antonelli was fatally struck on the back straight in a horrible yet ultimately unavoidable accident.

Motorsport is based on the principles of competition, and every rider aims to beat one another. However the paddock gathers as a community and feels the shock of such a loss like a family. Riders within the paddock and across the greater motorsport fraternity offered their condolences via the web and social media, indicating just how much of a loss Antonelli’s passing is. It is always sad to see such a promising rider cut down with so much more to achieve, and we at CycleOnline pass on our message of condolence to those affected.

Troy Bayliss was on hand at the Sydney Motorsport Park FX Superbike test, lapping competitively aboard a Ducati. Image: Australian FX-Superbike Championship.

With only a few weeks until the next round of the Australian Superbike Championship, the activity and testing on a domestic level is starting to really ramp up. Yesterday a large number of FX Superbike regulars tested at Sydney Motorsport Park, a number of which are also ASBK regulars that met the elgibility criteria set down. Glenn Allerton continued his strong run of form to be fastest, but the man who went second-fastest in the FX Superbike ranks will have tongues wagging.

Troy Bayliss made an intriguing appearance at the event, and, not being a current FX Superbike competitor, we can draw the conclusion that an appearance at the FX-500 at the end of the year may very well be on the cards. It’s an exciting prospect to think that Bayliss could be on the grid at the event, and certainly a huge positive for the sport on a domestic level.