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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/137546
ROUND 6/JUNE 16, 2013 CATALUNYA CIRCUIT/MONTMELO, SPAIN MOTOGP P58 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SALOM'S THRILLER result both for the Switzerlandbuilt bike and the rider. Mahindra had brought the first upgrades for their all-new bike, including hotter cams plus a new exhaust and more slippery bodywork, which proved effective. It was Vazquez's first race after missing the first two, with his broken right collarbone far from healed. He led briefly mid-race, and said that pain and weakness had slowed The first race of the day, and another Moto3 thriller going to the wire. And a nationalistic warm-up for the home fans: not only another Spanish rostrum lockout, but fourth as well, and a neighbor from Portugal in fifth. Seven riders broke away Luis Salom won a thrilling Moto3 finale. from the start, and the group only split just before half distance. By then Alex Rins him in the later laps. had done most of the leading over the line, along with His teammate Miguel Oliveira held on to sixth after Estrella Galicia KTM teammate Alex Marquez. a long battle with Australian Jack Miller dropped both On lap 12 Luis Salom led for the first time, only from the leading group. Oliveira complained of oilto be displaced by Maverick Vinales; while Efren ing problems; the engine to be returned to base for Vazquez closed up again on the improving Mahindra. investigation. By the end there were just three: Salom in control Miller had a storming ride, pushing to second in the for the last seven laps; Rins challenging strongly to the early stages, and top Honda by almost 10seconds. line, Vinales half a second behind. It was a fine display Salom becomes the first three-time winner and of closely matched talent; Vinales had the consolation takes the title lead again from Vinales, 127-122. Rins of a new lap record, better than a second faster than has 101, then comes Folger with 63, Marquez with 48 last year's first-time Moto3. and Oliveira with 43. Marquez was almost four seconds adrift at the end; Folger did not start, after suffering hand injuries in a Vazquez a couple behind him. It was a significant training accident after the last round. home a narrow but telling advantage at the end. The parallel was not valid, he said. "This race was much more difficult." Hotter conditions were not just physically more tiring, but Catalunya's demands on the tires made for a more difficult balancing act on the razor's edge. "The front tire gave me scary moments every braking," he said, adding: "It's like this every race. We are always asking Bridgestone for a harder tire. In some brakings, it's a bit dangerous." He and the two factory Hondas had owned the race, after a couple of early scares. The first was on lap one: Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow was a close fourth followed by Valentino Rossi's factory Yamaha at the end of the back straight when Alvaro Bautista all but took Rossi down and out for a second race in a row. Five laps later Crutchlow's close and valiant pursuit saw him push too hard and slide off two corners before. These misadventures left Rossi crucially out of touch. The front three were closely matched, and it was heart-inthe-mouth racing. The front two were having front tire problems; Marc Marquez was matching Valentino Rossi ended up fourth, bouncing back after the disappointment of Mugello.