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ROUND 10/AUGUST 18, 2013 INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY/INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA MOTOGP MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP For most of the race it was between Fun& Go Honda's Alvaro Bautista and Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow, who were both quickly past fast-starting Bradley Smith on the second Tech 3 Yamaha. Soon they were joined by LCR Honda's Stefan Bradl, but he was never close enough to do more than watch a battle with regular DOMINATION P52 changes of position. Some way behind, an apparently badly off-form Valentino Rossi took until lap six to take seventh from Smith. He was two seconds adrift, and the gap would grow steadily as he battled with too much grip from the new rear tire that was, he explained, pushing the front. By half distance it was a hopeless-looking five seconds to the group ahead. Never rule out Rossi. As the grip started to fade away the bike became more manageable, and he start to use his skill and racecraft. Bradl was fading a little now – setting changes had made the bike heavy to ride, he explained, and he was getting tired. He was easy meat: Rossi had him by lap 21. With six to go, the battling ture had been plated and screwed; two weeks later Marc Marquez never another crash required the ceases to amaze. Winner surgery to be repeated, and of Moto2 for the last two he raced to a painful sixth at years, and a man who Laguna a week later. admits he enjoys more Winner last year, Pedrosa slippery tracks, he was was third, a mere .014 of fastest in his first outing a second slower, after round the 2.62-mile threebiding his time and taking surface Indy infield, and a cautious approach. He'd stayed on top from there chosen natural healing after onwards. his similar but less severe His first fast lap in Marc Marquez earned his fourth MotoGP fracture in Germany, and final qualifying shattered the pole position on Saturday with a new lap a rest cure over the three-week record and also shaded Jorge record at the Brickyard. summer break meant he was Lorenzo, who had done the below full fitness, as well as still in same a few seconds earlier. Then he went out again some pain. "I feel a little stiff on the bike," he admitand went even faster. ted on the first day; and after qualifying added: "It's a His only concern was common … "because the race where fitness is important. You have to move a tires [will be] quite done for the second part of the lot on the bike. I'll try to be there all the time, but it's race, but for everybody will be the same." important to stay on the bike." His best-ever lap came with the benefit of newPedrosa's late front-row bid displaced Cal tire grip. The task for morning warm-up would be "to Crutchlow, fast throughout. He thought, "I deserved adjust some things with the used tires. But anyway, the front row," but a tire problem on his second run I think we are ready for fight for the race. Normally ruined his chances. "We're very aware this is a Honda when the track is slippery, I feel quite good, and I can track," he added. feel the bike well and I can find the limit," he said. Alvaro Bautista was alongside, continuing his The two-man collarbone club completed an allrehabilitation after earlier headlong crashes; and Spanish front row, comprising the main title contendthen, rather surprisingly, a happy Nicky Hayden. His ers, but with third-placed Lorenzo second fastest. His team had built a new rear unit in haste before final twice-plated left-side fracture was still "not perfect, qualifying, and it worked. "We had a good pace, but I not 100 percent," he said. "In some brakings and wasn't sure it was good enough for the second row," changing direction I have a little pain… but it is much he said. The usual Ducati turning problems remained, better than Laguna Seca or Assen, for sure," he said. and tire wear was an issue for the race. He raced to fifth at Assen 36 hours after the frac-

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