Bol d’Or :SERT pulls out a gap at the top / le SERT s’installe en tête

After trading the lead several times with Honda Racing in the course of the evening, SERT earned itself a handy cushion at the top of the Bol d’Or leaderboard thanks to some swift thinking when a shower broke out. The N°111 Honda is only 28 seconds adrift, however, while GMT 94 (Michelin) is still third, three laps down.

SERT and Honda Racing had been swapping first place since the start of the race, but the N°111 Honda appeared to have the edge after its fifth pit stop thanks to some longer stints when a shower broke out at 9:30pm, throwing the whole situation wide open again, however.

When the Honda stopped for the sixth time, it re-joined on slick tyres, just minutes before the rain arrived. When the first drops appeared, SERT immediately called the N°1 Suzuki in for an unscheduled stop to switch to rain tyres, imitating GMT 94’s tactic barely seconds previously. The N°1 Suzuki then posted a sequence of extremely quick laps which enabled it to gain 40 seconds on the leading Honda in the space of just three laps. Next time round (Lap 193), SERT passed in front and proceeded to pull out a useful gap.

As the rain worsened, the N°111 Honda finally pitted for rain tyres on Lap 200 after losing around 1m20s. With a third of the race completed, the Honda Racing is 28 seconds adrift.

Meanwhile, GMT 94 has been running unthreatened in third place, three laps short of the leaders. At the same time, the N°11 Kawasaki has fought its way back up to fourth spot (+8 laps), but without succeeding in bridging the gap to the race’s front-runners.

Bolliger Team Switzerland is fifth, ahead of the best-placed Superstock team, Penz 13, which moved to the top of the class when Starteam suffered a fall. The N°13 BMW is currently being chased by the Hall Motos 02 Kawasaki which is just 23 seconds behind.

Motor Events is eighth overall, ahead of National Motos and Qatar Endurance Racing Team. Thanks to the new EWC regulations, these 10 teams have already made sure of championship points, while seven of the 46 starters have officially retired.

Après avoir échangé la première position avec Honda Racing, le SERT s’est installé en tête de la 78ème édition du Bol d’Or grâce sa vitesse de réaction lors d’une averse. La Honda n°111 a glissé à la deuxième place, reléguée à 28 secondes. Le GMT 94 (Michelin) se maintient à la troisième place à trois tours du leader.

Alors que le SERT et Honda Racing s’échangeaient la tête de la course depuis le premier ravitaillement, la Honda n°111 semblait avoir pris l’avantage à l’issue du cinquième pit stop grâce à des relais plus longs mais c’était sans compter sur le retour de la pluie après 6h30 de course.

Reparti en slick à l’issue de son sixième ravitaillement Honda Racing a souffert de l’apparition de la pluie quelques minutes plus tard.  Réactif, le SERT a anticipé son arrêt au stand pour chausser les pneus pluie alors que le GMT 94 avait opté pour le même choix quelques tours plus tôt. Le SERT a alors enchaîné une série de tours rapides en reprenant 40 secondes à la Honda n°111 en seulement trois tours. La Suzuki n°1 a logiquement viré en tête au 193^ème tour et a continué à creuser l’écart.

La pluie redoublant, la Honda n°111 est finalement rentrée au stand pour monter des pneus pluie au 200^ème tour après avoir perdu environ 1min20 sur le SERT. Après 8 heures de course, la Honda n°111 compte 28 secondes de retard.

Derrière, le GMT 94 se maintient à la troisième place avec un handicap de trois tours. Profitant des nombreuses chutes et des ennuis mécaniques touchant les équipes qui le devançaient, Kawasaki SRC est revenu à quatrième place mais n’a pas réussi à réduire l’écart sur les leaders. La Kawasaki n°11 pointe à huit tours.

Bolliger Team Switzerland occupe la cinquième place devant la première équipe de la catégorie Superstock, Penz 13 qui a pris la tête suite à la chute de Starteam. La BMW n°13 est chassée par Hall Motos 02 où 23 secondes les séparent.

Motor Events est  huitième devant National Motos  et le Qatar Endurance Racing Team. Compte tenu du nouveau règlement en vigueur, ces dix premières équipes marquent de 10 à 1 points. Nous avons franchi le tiers de la course. On compte d’ores et déjà sept abondons.

Marquez dominates second practice in Argentina / Márquez survole de nouveau les essais libres en Argentine

MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez was in dominant form on Friday at the Gran Premio Red Bull de la Republica Argentina, leading FP2 by 1.083s from teammate Dani Pedrosa, with Aleix Espargaro in third.

As the riders learned their way around the new Termas de Rio Hondo track Marquez demonstrated his ability to go quickly at unfamiliar venues once again, recording a 1’39.313 best lap to put him clear of nearest rival Pedrosa.

Espargaro once again showed his pace and the potential of his ‘Open’ NGM Forward Racing package, placing himself third on the timesheet with a 1’40.566 best effort on the Forward Yamaha.

In fourth place was LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl, the German rider who was one of a select group to test at this venue last year. He ended the day 1.578s behind Marquez.

Completing the top five was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) who ended the session riding his second bike after the engine on his first machine blew up early in the practice. The Italian lapped within 1.729s of P1.

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MOTO GP :Dominant Marquez secures Argentina pole / Márquez s’empare de la pole qui lui était promise en Argentine

Repsol Honda’s MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez continued his dominance of the Gran Premio Red Bull de la Republica Argentina weekend to take pole, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

Full results from an enthralling Argentina Q2 session can be reviewed here.

Marquez appears to be enjoying every moment of the first World Championship visit to the new Termas de Rio Hondo track and he set a superb 1'37.683s late in the 15 minute showdown to maintain his 100% 2014 pole record.

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s 2010 and 2012 MotoGP title winner Lorenzo improved his best time significantly in the final stages to qualify second, a 0.742s margin from pole.

Pedrosa, meanwhile, was not far behind Lorenzo in third, his best time of 1’38.651s leaving him a second off the pole pace.

Another good performance from Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) on the ‘Open’ Forward-Yamaha puts him at the head on the second row, with Italians Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) qualifying just behind him.

After making it through from Q1 Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) will shoot for another top five race result from the front of row three, with Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) behind him. Bradl walked away from a big highside but looked somewhat shaken by the crash.

Alvaro Baustista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini), Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and the other rider to make it through from Q1, Nicky Hayden (Drive M7 Aspar), will get away from the fourth row.

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