VOLUME 56 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 29, 2019 P63
saved his tires in the battle to
take narrow control at the end.
"As I came over Lukey Heights
I saw dust— then I saw it was
Maverick, and I knew I would be
on the podium," Miller said.
He had ridden with impres-
sively mature judgement, at odds
with the wild-man Ned Kelly (a
famous 1800s Australian outlaw)
tribute leathers he'd adopted for
the race. "I tried not to do what
I've done before—to lead then
drop back. I waited, and then
I could see the guys gradually
it was important. I couldn't afford
to let Maverick get away. He was
faster than me, and the hard part
of the race was when he pushed
for five or six laps, but I knew if I
could stay with him then I would
have a chance. I took a gamble
on the soft rear tire, and at the
end it was finished, but Maverick
had the same.
"Sometimes the faster rider
doesn't win the race. It was like
that today."
Vinales's crash, with three cor-
ners to go, handed a fine second
to Crutchlow at the track where a
year ago he suffered potentially
career-ending leg injuries, and a
home-hero podium third to Jack
Miller, who had carefully tended
his tires, then maneuvered his
Pramac Ducati to the front of a
huge gang disputing the position.
Crutchlow was jubilant.
"I knew I had the pace for the
podium whatever happened,"
he said. "In the last few laps, my
rear tire was destroyed."
Miller had thought he could
do no better than fourth, having
Maverick Vinales
falls on his sword,
succumbing to the
Marquez pressure. The
world champion struck
a serious psychological
blow to the field at
Phillip Island.
