Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1547519
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE I n a season where he really should have been in a position to seriously challenge for the World Champion- ship at this stage, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) reminded everyone how fast he is by crushing the field in Doha for a sixth win of the season. It was the Italian's first win since his dream Italian GP weekend, held at a time when he seemed unstoppable on the beautiful RS-GP that was tailor- made for his style. From there, it all went south and Marc Marquez (Lenovo Ducati), 102 points back at the time, began his inexorable title charge and Bezzecchi had to deal with injuries and a number of costly crashes. Bezz was on form from the get-go in Qatar, smashing the lap record to take pole and likely taking the Sprint win, were it not for a collision with eventual winner Marquez at turn one on lap three. Bezzecchi came off second best. Marquez then cruised to the Sprint win, his 25th in the short-race format, ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) and a heroic Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), who even led the race in the early stages before fading to third with his fractured right wrist suffered in Australia. In the main race on Sunday, Bezzec- chi refused to yield and took a three- second win over Marquez and Track- house Aprilia's Raul Fernandez. In Moto2, Dani Holgado's (CFMOTO Aspar Kalex) late-race pace was ir- repressible as he overhauled longtime leader Alex Escrig (Klint Racing), who later dropped to third as a charging Ivan Ortola (QJMotor Kalex) barged through into second as the title points for once swung in Manuel Gonzalez's (Liqui ROUND 20 / NOVEMBER 6-8, 2026 LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT / DOHA, QATAR ROAD RACE I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP P74 Winners are grinners! Marco Bezzecchi's had to wait a long time for that winning feeling, and he got it under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit. ON