ROUND 8/JULY 14, 2013
SACHSENRING CIRCUIT/SAXONY, GERMAN
MOTOGP
P42
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
didn't crash. Counter to his reputation, he was careful enough
all three days to keep it wheels
down. And fast enough to keep
everyone behind him. The Repsol Honda rider claimed his third
pole of his first year in the class,
and his second victory. And went
home without a scratch.
He also took home a greater
prize – the lead in the World
Championship.
Crashes were a theme of the
weekend. Second-placed Cal
Crutchlow had two big ones on
his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha on
the first morning, and raced in
a great deal of pain. He too produced a blinder. It took time to
pick his way through to second
after he was balked off the line
– by Marquez, funnily enough.
He'd passed Yamaha's Valentino
Rossi for second just after the
mid-point of the 30-lap race, and
was almost three seconds adrift.
Head down, wheels sliding, he
had halved the gap by the finish –
but Marquez had it under control.
Would the result have been
different if the two top guys had
been here?
"The feeling is a little different
