Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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ROUND 2 / MARCH 22-24, 2024 ALGARVE INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT / PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL MOTOGP I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP P90 tararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) from Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team). In the series points, Martin is sitting pretty on 32 points from Binder's 13 and Bastianini's 24. MOTO2 Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) clinched victory in the Moto2 race, finally ending a streak of second-place finishes we were not sure would ever end. The Spanish rider took a com - manding win by two seconds as the battle for the podium unfold- ed behind him in Portugal. Joe Roberts (OnlyFans Ameri- can Racing Team) capped off a stellar weekend by securing sec- ond place for his first podium of the year. The American fended likewise, of third, but Vinales' Aprilia had other ideas. The Spaniard came onto the front straight with one lap to go and slowed dramatically, his RS GP24 refusing to go into sixth gear. He was forced wide at turn one with a gearbox full of neu - trals, and when it finally did click into gear, it was second. Thus, Vinales was unceremoniously spat off his bike with less than one lap remaining. That promoted Bastianini to second and Acosta to a career- first MotoGP podium, making him the third-youngest premier- class podium finisher in the 75-year history of MotoGP. Thus, Martin took the gold from Bastianini and Acosta with Binder leading Miller for a Pierer Mobility Group third, fourth and fifth. Sixth was Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) ahead of Fabio Quar - der and took both riders out of the race. The stewards deemed it a "racing incident." However, both riders blamed each other for the crash, with Marquez calling it "too risky for two points" and Bagnaia saying, "From my side, it wasn't risky." "A racing incident that none of us would have wanted," Marquez said of his crash with Bagnaia. "We go home with no points. The stewards have decided that the incident deserves no sanc - tion and we accept the decision. Pecco tried to defend his posi- tion, maybe with a little bit of op- timism. The result is still the one nobody would have wished for." Up front, the dust had settled, and Martin was on his merry way to his second race win of 2024 after winning the Sprint in Qatar. Vinales was assured of second place and Bastianini, Daniel Holgado (96) defended his life in Moto3 and held on just barely for the win over Jose Antonio Rueda (99).