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/1154402
VOLUME 56 ISSUE 32 AUGUST 13, 2019 P71 the full distance inches apart. Pole-sitter Marquez had done most of the leading, and when Dovizioso powered past on the front straight on lap 19 of 28, it looked as though the Spaniard had let him by, to measure his final attack, and it came at the start of the last lap. But, exchanging the roles of the previous year, Dovi didn't feel like giving up. He knew he had more grip on the right-hand side. After a strong exit from the corner before, on the way into the 10th and final corner, he dove inside. Marquez had hoped that the latest more powerful Honda might at last take over the Ducati stronghold. He also used the new carbon-reinforced chassis, the latest aerodynamics (to con- trol wheelies) and the "spoon" under the swingarm (to improve braking). They were so close through the final corner that the Honda's brake-lever protector hooked onto the Ducati, and, "I went with him for a bit," said Marquez who expected they would both crash before luckily it snapped off. That incident pushed him wide and meant he was unable to try for a final sprint over the line. Dovi won by 0.213 of a second. Barely less impressive was rookie Fabio Quartararo (Petro- nas Yamaha), who led the first five laps, and then gapped the pursuing factory Monster Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi to take the third podium of his first season. "Usually you make some mistakes in a race, but I didn't make any, and that is really precious," he said. Quartararo's early lead came because the main protagonists both made overly aggressive errors off the start. There had been some guesswork after heavy rain overnight washed away the grip, and a damp morning meant there was no chance in the warm-up to take its measure. Although the race was dry, conditions were cool- er after baking heat in practice, offering at least some comfort to a crowd of 85,000. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha) held on for fourth, his best result since his second place at Austin. Fifth went to Rossi's fast closing teammate Maverick Vinales, who was only half a tenth ahead of Su- zuki's Alex Rins. Pecco Bagnaia came home for a solid seventh, ahead of the best-placed KTM, rookie Miguel Oliveira in eighth, with Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) and Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha) rounding out the top 10. Dovi regained five points in the title battle but is still 58 adrift of Marquez's total of 230. Petrucci has 136, Rins 106 and Rossi 103. MOTO2 Brad Binder gave his Red Bull KTM team a first Moto2 win of the Triumph-powered era at the bike's and the sponsor's home MOTO3 NUT BAGS The panel of stewards was working overtime with penalties for 16 Moto3 riders, three of those riders added from the day before, and one more carried over from Brno a week ago. The last-named was a pit-lane start for Alonso Lopez after a bout of fisticuffs in the Czech GP last weekend. Friday's slow-riding sinners were Darryn Binder, Ayumu Sasaki, and Ai Ogura, with the Japanese pair back 12 places on the grid, and Binder to the back of it, for a third offense. Then on Saturday night, Ric- cardo Rossi and Tatsuki Suzuki have 12-position grid penalties, and Andrea Migno (with two penalties) was sent to the back of the grid. Other riders had their fastest Q2 laps canceled, with varying effects. They were Niccolo Antonelli, Tony Arbolino, Aron Canet, Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Romano Fenati, Raul Fernan- dez, Jakub Kornfeil, Jaume Ma- sia, Ai Ogura, Marcos Ramirez, Ayumu Sasaki, Kaito Toba and Makar Yurchenko. KTM OUT, HUSKY IN KTM has committed to five more years in the MotoGP class, but on the day that they took their first class win, announced they had decided to dump Moto2, with KTM Director Pit Beirer admitting that competing in three classes had stretched the resources uncomfortably. "I am really grateful to the team for Briefly...