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/1119655
MOTOGP FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 5 / MAY 17-19, 2019 BUGATTI CIRCUIT / LE MANS, FRANCE P78 race. I was struggling a lot with my rear grip, but it was a great battle with Marini, putting down a good solid pace with him. To be able to do that… you know, it's step by step, and it's nice to get the first points." Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta) was another 20 seconds down for the final point. Sam Lowes (Federal Oils Kalex) was an early crasher, fighting to make up for a dire 26th-place start. Baldassarri still leads with 75 points, then Luthi (68). Navarro (54), Marquez (61) and Schrot- ter (56). Moto3 The first race did not disappoint in its usual serving of thrills and variety. It started with a terrifying first-lap crash, when Ai Ogura had a vicious high-side on the Team Asia Honda, the bike spinning back onto the track in the middle of the pack, miracu- lously avoided by the rear half of the 29-strong field. The pack was split by various other crashes and incidents but closed right up again for a fraught final lap—with Scotsman John McPhee at the front of it at the end. He had also been at the be- ginning but had to fight to regain the position, as second-placed Lorenzo Dalla Porta pushed his Leopard Honda briefly ahead of the Petronas Honda. The top 10 were all over the line inside two seconds, with the inevitable moments of con- who had taken second Dynavolt rider Marcel Schrotter on the last lap. Iker Lecuona (American Rac- ing) was still close, but erstwhile companion Nicolo Bulega (SKY VR46 Kalex) was six seconds adrift in 10th, after leaving the party with a dramatic high-speed run across the gravel with seven laps to go. ONEXOX Kalex rider Tetsuta Nagashima was a lone 11th, after dropping off Fabio Di Giannanto- nio (Speed Up). Second American Racing rider Joe Roberts, the only US rider in any class, claimed his first points of the season in a strong ride, finishing 14th after a long battle with 13th-placed former winner Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Kalex). The pair had caught Dominique Aegerter's MV Agusta at the end, but the Swiss rider suddenly slowed on the last lap, out of fuel. "That was definitely needed," said Roberts. "It was a difficult This left Marquez 1.9 seconds clear, with Navarro now up to second, and (two laps later) sec- ond Flexbox HP40 rider Augusto Fernandez past Vierge for third. Navarro did close on Marquez over the next few laps, then an error let Fernandez ahead briefly. From then on Marquez was unmolested as the pair scrapped over second, changing places several times. On the last lap, Navarro got clear and set a new lap record, but was still over a second adrift of Marquez at the flag. Fernan- dez was close for an all-Spanish podium. By the end, a battle for fourth was four seconds away, with Binder taking it off Vierge with two laps to go. Gardner might have been with this group, but had lost the front and slipped off on lap 14. Another two seconds away, Luthi managed to hold off rookie Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Kalex), Alex Marquez made it a happy family day by taking the Moto2 race win, his first since the Japanese GP in 2017.