Cycle News

VOL. 50 ISSUE 42 OCTOBER 22, 2013 Valentino Rossi does something you don't see every day in MotoGP – a mid-race bike change. fast-starting Bradley Smith, and who later spoke of major rear grip problems with his first bike, and a near crash on the last corner on lap five that let both Go & Fun Honda's Alvaro Bautista and Monster Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow past. Up front Lorenzo's attempt to run away had foundered with a near crash of his own, and first Marquez and then Pedrosa were seriously crowding him. At the end of lap eight, "mainly by instinct – and because pit lane would be empty," Pedrosa was the first into the pits, followed by Bautista and then quite a crowd. Rossi was not among them, although he had arranged also to stop at the first opportunity, "but I was battling with Bautista and I didn't see my pit board. Then when I saw him pit next time, I thought … f*&k." Nor was Lorenzo, whose pit had been counting him down with great clarity. And nor Marquez… who took a clear lead as he pounded on for the next lap as well, visibly sliding on his tires: they were badly chunked when he pulled in, proving the deadly accuracy of Bridgestone's 10-lap prediction. When he came out of the extended pit lane, Lorenzo and Pedrosa were heeling into turn one and this is when Lorenzo and Marquez had a coming together that was clearly too violent for comfort at that speed. Lorenzo led on to the end, saying the key to his victory had Pol Espargaro won the Australian Moto2 GP and took over the lead in the World Championship in the process. Anthony West was a crowdpleasing tenth, forging his way through from 20th on the first lap. His last victims were Sandro Cortese and Ricard, still close at the end. Able to draw breath at last after the flag, totaling up the points gave Espargaro a massive advantage, with Redding an unlikely starter at Motegi, and not much of a threat for Valencia either. Espargaro has 240 points, Redding 224 and Rabat 204 – technically in with a chance. P65 Briefly... but was forced to pull out after posting times a full four seconds off the pace in first free practice. The German LCR Honda rider, struggling to replicate the form that gave him pole and second place at Laguna Seca, said: "I had injections and painkillers, but I was too slow. This is risky for me and also the other riders." The former Moto2 champion broke his ankle in a freak incident in final free practice in Malaysia, when he caught his foot in some dislodged Astroturf after a seemingly innocuous spill. He underwent surgery that night in Kuala Lumpur, and was seen still receiving intensive therapy even on the flight to Australia for the race. "Of course it was painful," he said after his ride, running 11 laps on Friday morning. Also, "the mobility of the ankle is not perfect yet. This is why I have been declared unfit, and I agree with them." Bradl lost his sixth place in the championship to Alvaro Bautista in Malaysia, and as a doubtful starter also for Japan is even in some danger of dropping behind Andrea Dovizioso's Marlboro Ducati in the final standings. Casey Stoner, Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner were all present at the Australian GP, with a span of nine Phillip Island victories between them; and Stoner joined his compatriots and boyhood idols also figuratively as the latest rider inducted to the Hall of Fame of MotoGP Legends. He'd been invited, said Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, at the Valencia GP last year, his final Grand Prix, and they'd agreed that Phillip Island – scene of his six consecutive wins on both Ducati and Honda – would be the appropriate venue. Stoner chose the occasion to stamp out lincontinued on next page

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