Moto GP ; Rossi triomphe à Termas de Río Hondo / Rossi wins in Argentina after clashing with Marquez

L’Italien a offert au public argentin une épique remontée pour revenir sur Marc Márquez et s’est imposé suite à la chute de l’Espagnol.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) est parvenu à rattraper plus de quatre secondes de retard sur Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda), qui avait pris le risque de partir sur pneu dur au lieu d’utiliser la gomme extra-dure, et semblait être définitivement passé devant l’Espagnol lorsque ce dernier est tombé en touchant la roue arrière de l’Italien à deux tours de l’arrivée.

Rossi confortait ainsi son statut de leader du classement MotoGP™ et finissait devant Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), deuxième pour la troisième course d'affilée, et Cal Crutchlow, qui signait son premier podium avec CWM LCR Honda après avoir ravi la troisième place à Andrea Iannone (Ducati) dans la dernière ligne droite. Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) complétait le Top 5.

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Valentino Rossi takes a sensational victory after a masterful ride at the Gran Premio Red Bull de la República Argentina.

The sun had come out and track temperatures had risen to 37 degrees for the start of the MotoGP™ race at the Termas de Rio Hondo. The reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Marquez, along with CWM LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow, decided to switch to the hard rear tyre on the grid, unlike Rossi and Lorenzo who both decided to use the extra hard compound rear.

Aleix Espargaro led into the first corner, but Marquez passed the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR almost immediately and used his hard tyre to create a four-second gap at the front. At about mid-race distance Marquez’s tyres appeared to start to lose performance meaning that the chasing pack, led at this point by Valentino Rossi, started to close in on the leader. “The Doctor” had worked his way through the pack from 8th on the grid and could sense victory, as he was lapping almost a second quicker than Marquez.

The nine-time World Champion eventually caught Marquez with just 2 laps to go with the two riders touching, before Marquez clipped the back of Rossi’s bike and crashed out of the race. Rossi went on to take the race win by over 5 seconds ahead of Andrea Dovizioso in 2nd, with Cal Crutchlow stealing the final podium spot from Andrea Iannone on the very last corner.

Rossi’s teammate Jorge Lorenzo finished in 5th ahead of Bradley Smith on the Satellite Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bike. Aleix Espargaro ended the race in 7th, ahead of his brother Pol, with Scott Redding and Maverick Viñales completing the top ten.

CWN LCR Honda’s Jack Miller took the Open class victory as he finished in 12th, just 0.075s ahead of Hector Barbera on the Avintia Ducati.

Rossi now has a six-point lead over Dovizioso in the MotoGP™ World Championship standings, and is 30 points ahead of Marquez.

Check out the full MotoGP™ race results.

Moto GP ; Le meilleur temps pour Márquez à Austin / Marquez restablishes dominance during MotoGP™ FP2

Le Champion du Monde en titre a survolé la fin de la seconde séance d’essais une fois passé sur pneus slick.

Après une matinée pluvieuse au Circuit des Amériques, les pilotes MotoGP™ ont pu rouler sur pneus slick pour la seconde moitié de leur deuxième séance d’essais suite à un changement de conditions dont Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) a profité pour prendre la première position avec une nette avance sur ses adversaires. 

L’Espagnol, invaincu aux Etats-Unis depuis 2011, a terminé avec plus de trois dixièmes de seconde d’avance sur Cal Crutchlow (CWM LCR Honda) et Andrea Iannone (Ducati). Aleix Espargaró (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), qui avait été le plus rapide sur piste mouillée, et Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) sont quant à eux à plus de sept dixièmes de Márquez.

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Marc Marquez reestablished his dominance at the Circuit of The Americas as he set the quickest time in FP2.

It was all change for FP2, with the track drying and the rain holding off it gave riders a chance to head out and attempt to set what could be their fastest lap of the two days of practice. The time’s from FP2 might be very important, as with more rain forecast for tomorrow they could decide who makes it through to the second qualifying session on Saturday.

Riders initially headed out on wet tyres to get a feel for the track conditions, but came back in to switch to slicks as the racing line began to dry with about 20 minutes to go. This led to a frantic end to proceedings as riders attempted to take advantage of what could be the only dry session of the weekend.

Repsol Honda’s Marquez was the only rider to break the 2’05 barrier, as he set a 2’04.835 to finish three-tenths ahead of the CWM LCR Honda of Cal Crutchlow (+0.327s) who is benefitting from a chassis and seat upgrade to his RC213V in Austin, and was the fastest of the Satellite riders.

Completing the provisional front row was the Ducati Team GP15 of Andrea Iannone (+0.355s). Seven-tenths back from Marquez was Aleix Espargaro on the Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR in 4th, with Andrea Dovizioso in 5th on the second Factory Ducati. Valentino Rossi, the man who rolled back the years to claim the race win in Qatar, ended the day in 6th on the leading Yamaha.

Monster Tech 3 Yamaha’s Bradley Smith crashed out during the session but was unhurt, while Athina Forward Racing's Stefan Bradl (+1.155s) was the leading Open class rider in 8th place.

Click here for the combined MotoGP™ Practice times from Friday, FP3 is scheduled to start at 9:55am local time on Saturday in Austin.

Cal Crutchlow takes stunning maiden pole position at Assen

Cal Crutchlow took his first ever MotoGP pole position during today’s exciting Q2 session with a stunning flying last lap in 1:34.398.

The Yamaha Tech3 rider was almost four tenths faster than injured Marc Marquez who was second fastest, and for a very, very brief moment the MotoGP rookie thought he had taken the pole, but Crutchlow was a man on a mission and blasted across the finish line to be first British rider to take a MotoGP pole in eleven years, the last time was Jeremy McWilliams, at Phillip Island in 2002.

“It’s good. I’m pleased obviously, but for me it’s not a true pole because Jorge [Lorenzo] wasn’t not here,” said Crutchlow, “I would have liked to have a dogfight with him, hopefully we’ll be able to do that when he returns and hopefully for a race win later in the season. But we did a good job. I wasn’t happy in free practice four, but if we can make the bike calmer we can go faster again. I’m looking forward to the race. We’ll see what we can do.”

Crutchlow and Marquez last flying laps demoted an excellent Stefan Bradl to third, but it is still a front row start and a first for the LCR rider who switched to Brembo brakes this weekend, and they also knocked Valentino Rossi to fourth, and a second row start.

After taking the provisional pole with five minutes to go in the high octane session, Dani Pedrosa crashed out. The Repsol Honda veteran lost the front of his bike at the De Bult and he was able to walk away and he managed to return to his garage but decided not to go out, and that cost him dearly as he’ll have to start fifth on the grid.

Bradley Smith also had an excellent qualifying session as he was sixth, his best result of the season and he made it three Yamaha’s in the top six positions, after causing some problems during the brief session for Marquez.

CRT rider Aleix Espargaro will open the third row with his seventh place with Alvaro Bautista squeezed between the Spaniard and his team mate Randy De Puniet who qualified ninth and ahead Nicky Hayden who managed a tenth spot and while Ducati test rider Michele Pirro who is subbing for Ben Spies was 11th.

Andrea Dovizioso will start in a lowly 15th tomorrow, and he will probably be handed a penalty point after kicking out Hector Barbera during QP1.

If Jorge Lorenzo passes his fitness test - as he is already flying back to Assen - he will start in 12th.

2013 MotoGP Assen QP2 results:

01- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 1’34.398
02- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.357
03- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.480
04- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.576
05- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.608
06- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 1.056
07- Aleix Espargaro – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 1.102
08- Alvaro Bautista – GO&FUN Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 1.110
09- Randy De Puniet – Power Electronics Aspar – ART GP13 – + 1.224
10- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.510
from TWOWHEELSBLOG