Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1113817
MOTOGP FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 4 / MAY 3-5, 2019 CIRCUITO DE JEREZ / JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, SPAIN P92 row starter Alex Marquez (EG-VDS Kalex) was unable to avoid the XOXONE Kalex, and he fell; a little further along Honda Team Asia rider Dimas Ekky Pratama also fell after hitting Gardner's bike, and was run over by Marco Bezzecchi (Red Bull KTM), who fell at Turn Two. The red flags came out: Gard- ner and Ekky Pratama were taken to the medical center, although neither was seriously injured, Mar- quez pushed back down the hill to the pits and Bezzecchi remounted. Jorge Navarro (Speed Up) was on a first pole, with Marquez's empty space alongside, then Augusto Fernandez (Flexbox HP40 Kalex). Gardner's fourth spot was also empty, with Nicolo Bulega (SKY VR46 Kalex) and second HP40 rider Lorenzo Baldassarri completing row two. Navarro fluffed his start to finish the first lap fifth. It was returned inju- ry victim Fernandez and Baldassarri who took advantage, surging away from Tom Luthi (Dynavolt Kalex) and (Aprilia) at the final corner. That had let Honda test rider Stefan Bradl though for 10th, with the Aprilia 11th. Lorenzo had managed to recover from the indignity of be- ing passed by Pol Espargaro's Red Bull KTM, with the latter's struggling teammate Johann Zarco seven seconds behind in 14th, and a distant Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Ducati) taking the final point. Abraham, Smith and Oliveira straggled in. Joan Mir (Ecstar Suzuki) had slipped off out of eighth after passing Miller. Thus Marquez regained a narrow championship lead, one point ahead of Rins, 70- 69. Dovizioso has 67, Rossi 61, Petrucci 41. Moto2 The first start descended into chaos when second-row starter Remy Gardner got up to third into the first corner then high- sided on the way out of it. Front- There was still some drama, with Dovizioso closing right up to start the final lap 0.15 of a second be- hind Vinales, and looking for a way through. Vinales pulled out his best lap of the race to keep the Ducati at bay by better than three-tenths. Morbidelli's woes were not over, as he continued to lose places. Only when Crutchlow caught him did he manage to fight back to save top independent rid- er's position. By now, Rossi had tired of languishing in 10th look- ing at Jack Miller's back wheel, had disposed of the Pramac Ducati, and promptly passed both Crutchlow and Morbidelli for sixth, as they fought the English- man ahead for a couple of laps. By the end, Morbidelli was seventh and Crutchlow, also slid- ing badly, more than a second behind, busy fending off team- mate Takaaki Nakagami. Miller had gone, slipping off after fading with sliding tires and tangling with Aleix Espargaro Valentino Rossi charged through from 13th on the grid to sixth. Alex Rins is proving to be a real dark horse for the championship with another podium finish in second.