Source: MotoGP.

Marc Marquez produced a masterclass in difficult conditions at the Iveco Daily TT Assen to make it eight wins from eight races in 2014, ahead of fellow podium finishers Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) after an entertaining flag-to-flag contest

In a race which started after a delay due to wet conditions Marquez judged the 26-lap challenge to perfection, running with Dovizioso at the front in the early stages and asserting his authority as the riders changed to dry set-up machines on the seventh lap.

Marquez eventually clinched the win by 6.7s seconds to become the first rider since the great Giacomo Agostini in 1971 to win the first eight premier-class races of the year.

Dovizioso stepped onto the rostrum for the second time in 2014, with Pedrosa completing the podium after holding off the pursuing Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) for several laps. Espargaro rode well to hold fourth, having started on pole on the ‘Open’ Forward Yamaha.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took fifth having shown great pace in the second half of the race, his problem being a late decision to swap back from slicks to wets at the start. Rossi started from pit lane on wets, therefore, and recovered considerable ground before and after eventually the swap back to slicks.

Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing), Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team) and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) completed the top ten.

Broc Parkes (Paul Bird Motorsport) rode superbly to 11th having started from pit lane following a problem on the warm up lap. He ran as high as sixth after an early stop, before racing to five points in his best-career finish.

Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) retired with six laps to go after crashes on slicks and then wet tyres.

2014 MotoGP World Championship
Round eight – Assen, Netherlands

MotoGP race results:
1. Marc MARQUEZ 43m29.954
2. Andrea DOVIZIOSO +6.714
3. Dani PEDROSA +10.791
4. Aleix ESPARGARO +19.199
5. Valentino ROSSI +25.813
6. Andrea IANNONE +29.003
7. Alvaro BAUTISTA +30.882
8. Bradley SMITH +30.985
9. Cal CRUTCHLOW +44.031
10. Stefan BRADL +48.662
11. Broc PARKES (AUS) +51.863

MotoGP championship standings:
1. Marc MARQUEZ 200
2. Valentino ROSSI 128
3. Dani PEDROSA 128
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO 91
5. Jorge LORENZO 81
6. Aleix ESPARGARO 67
7. Pol ESPARGARO 58
8. Stefan BRADL 56
9. Andrea IANNONE 51
10. Bradley SMITH 48
20. Broc PARKES (AUS) 6

Click here for detailed results