Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 26 JULY 2, 2013 Crutchlow (35) started slowly and was cautious in passing injured World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (99), but the Brit was able to challenge Marquez for second by race's end. Crutchlow was next, about to get swallowed by Rossi, who was also ahead of Bradl and behind Marquez by the end of the lap. Pedrosa knew he was in trouble, after failing to find a way to stop his wheelspin and grip problems, exacerbated it seems on the Honda in cool conditions. His run up front lasted five laps. "Only at the start of the race could I use the best of the tires… for the rest I had no front or rear grip." Rossi passed Marquez into the first corner at the start of lap five, and took the lead at the end of the next one, into the chicane. Pedrosa had been a bit harder to pass, he later said. Rossi was leading a race! For the first time in two years! Marquez was biding his time and the three stayed close. On the 17th lap the youngster could see Pedrosa was losing pace. The older rider resisted as best he could, but after a couple of skirmishes he was down to third, and Rossi almost a second clear. "When I saw Marquez go to second, I knew how I could win," Rossi said. "I could see the gap was coming bigger and I thought: 'I can do it.' " By lap 22, he was two seconds ahead. The game was won. P55 Briefly... teams can be sure of their finances into 2014, some might decide to stick with what they have." Yamaha needs a minimum of two riders for the project to go ahead, with a maximum of four. If the minimum is not reached, the project will be shelved. The other choices for private teams are to stick with CRT bikes, or purchase a production-racing version of the Honda RC213V, promised to be available for sale for one million Euros. Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso and CRT rider Hector Barbera were hauled up to Race Direction, after an incident in the first qualifying practice that ended up in a highspeed kicking match. The man on the receiving end was Barbera, but both of them were punished by the application of one penalty point – proving, as Dovizioso was keen to point out, that both were in the wrong. The Ducati rider was already struggling, down with the slowcoaches in Q1 and far short of placing in the top two to get an attempt with the prototypes in Q2. His frustration boiled over when he found his way blocked by Barbera, who he judged was hoping to get a tow for a fast lap. "I made a mistake: I didn't have to kick him. But the problem is he has done it 100 times, and not only to me but to other riders," said Dovizioso. Barbera is notorious for following faster riders, and Dovi explained the modus operandi. "The CRT bikes have less power, so they try to slow you down in the middle of the lap so they can start the next lap with you. This time Barbera was again in the middle of the track." Race direction agreed, saying in a statement: "Barbera rode on the racing line not allowing Dovizioso to pass through two turns. Following the same incident, Dovizioso kicked at Hector Barbera." Each would receive one penalty point, if for different reasons. Dovizioso continued a familiar song of complaint about the Spaniard. "When we spoke there at Race Direction, he was so surprised with what I told him that I stopped speaking, because there was no point," he said. What will Yamaha do with its embarrassment of rider riches? With Lorenzo and Rossi occupying both factory seats, Pol Espargaro targeted to join Tech 3, Bradley Smith already contracted at Tech 3 next year, and Cal Crutchlow going gangbusters but on the loose after this season, the puzzle is no closer to solution. With the Suzuki option deferred until 2015, Crutchlow's options for the factory bike he so desires are cut to one: Ducati; but at the same time his value to Yamaha is increasing race by race, as the next-best rider in the championship behind Lorenzo. Crutchlow kept the ball in the air at Assen, saying he was looking at possible options; while one possible casualty is new-this-year team-mate Bradley Smith, in spite of a solid and improving start to his MotoGP career. Asked directly, Smith was as confused as anyone. "It's true I have a contract for next year, and it's true there's a lot of talking. What can I say? My management company is happy, my results are improving, Yamaha has said nothing to me. I'm looking to improve my results and stay in the same team." continued on next page

• Cover