MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 8/JUNE 28, 2014
CIRCUIT VAN DRENTHE/ASSEN, NETHERLANDS
P46
WEST HAS
HIS DAY
The Moto2 Grand Prix was true
chaos: quite heavy rain coming and go-
ing, and title leader Tito Rabat coming
out on the lucky side, after crashing
on the sighting lap. He made it back
to his pit, and was reprieved less than
two minutes later when the start was
delayed by 20 minutes.
It was properly wet at the start, and
World Supersport Champion Sam
Lowes took off up front, hotly pursued
by Simone Corsi, the pair drawing
ahead, though both were doomed.
Corsi took over on lap two, but they
were still together when Lowes lost the
front and slipped out.
By lap 11 Corsi was better than 11
seconds clear of a pack now led by
West, through to second from seventh
on lap one.
By lap 12 Corsi wasn't there any
more, also falling victim to the increas-
ingly difficult conditions.
Now West's Speed-Up led, narrowly,
from Italtrans Kalex's Julian Simon, Pagi-
nas Amarillas Kalex's Maverick Vinales,
Interwetten Kalex's Thomas Luthi, Tasca
Suter's Alex de Angelis, and Marc VDS
Kalex's Mika Kallio, with Paginas Amaril-
las Kalex's Luis Salom closing.
There would be no rest for the
Australian, focused intently on "push-
ing and keeping it clean." In his wake
Vinales took up the pursuit as Simon
dropped to the back of the group;
and teammate Salom joined in, taking
second on lap 18 only to slip off two
laps later.
By now Kallio was the last of the
group still in touch; while the teammates'
battle had given West a little breathing
space. It was gone again by the start of
