Moto GP : Dani Pedrosa takes second win in a row, Cal Crutchlow second at Le Mans

With TWOWHEELSBLOG

Today’s MotoGP race at Le Mans started under the pouring rain and turned out to be an exciting, action-packed crazy and thrilling race that included unexpected surprises, a great duel and a stunning comeback.

The winner of the race was a highly impressive and aggressive Dani Pedrosa who took his second consecutive victory taking a dominating victory and the lead in the standings, but only after battling with a very incisive and suprising Andrea Dovizioso for the first fourteen laps only to clear out an win with a highly comfortable margin that was up to 7 seconds before he slowed down administering his lead.

A heroic and stoic Cal Crutchlow gave his French based Yamaha Tech3 and Monster Energy sponsored squad (and the French GP sponsor) a fanstastic second place, especially considering his precarious physical conditions, and he was the only Yamaha rider on the podium, beating both Yamaha factory riders that both suffered an unexpected debacle.

Jorge Lorenzo after eight laps into the race began to visibily fade, suffering important technical or tire issues to end up a lowly 7th and a massive 28 seconds from Pedrosa. Worse happened to Valentino Rossi who crashed out of fourth during the 17th lap, while he was gaining on Cal Crutchlow who had overtaken him four laps before. The Italian was able to rejoin with a banged up Yamaha and finish down in 12th.

Marc Marquez was as usual his phenomenal self as he took the third spot, after a bad start and an error fraught race mixed up with stunningly fast laps that were one second faster than the front runners. The MotoGP rookie with and extraordinary comeback back from 11th to overtake Andrea Dovizioso in the penultimate lap and take the last spot on the podium.

That Ducati is good on the wet is a known fac, and Andrea Dovizioso amply proved it by taking the hole shot and lead the race for a good nine laps and battling with Pedrosa, exchanging the lead several times. Once Pedrosa was able to make his pass stick, the Ducati rider rode in an impressive second only to be passed by Crutchlow when his tires began to fade on lap 23 as the track dried out and then get passed by Marquez in the finale and finish still and impressive fourth.

Nicky Hayden ended up fifth, but the Ducati rider was in the thick of things with Rossi and Crutchlow, until Rossi’s crash and error make him lose touch. Sixth went to Alvaro Bautista who found himself battling with Lorenzo.

Michele Pirro who was replacing recovering Ben Spies brought home the Pramac Ducati in 8th and he was followed by Bradley Smith and Stefan Bradl.The German rider crashed out immediately before Valentino Rossi during the 17th lap he was able to rejoin and close out the top ten.

2013 MotoGP Le Mans results:

01- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 28 laps in 49’17.707
02- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 4.863
03- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 6.949
04- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 10.087
05- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 18.471
06- Alvaro Bautista – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 23.561
07- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 27.961
08- Michele Pirro Ignite Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 40.775
09- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 41.407
10- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 1’00.995
11- Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1’05.110
12- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1’16.368