MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 3/APRIL 19, 2015
TERMAS DE RIO HONDO CIRCUIT/ TERMAS DE RIO HONDO, ARGENTINA
P74
>>ZARCOS TURN
Ajo Kalex' Johann Zarco had set the
pace in qualifying, but it was third-row
starter Xavier Simeon on the Fed-
eral Oils Kalex off into the lead, with
defending champion Tito Rabat on the
Estrella-VDS Kalex taking over at the
second corner.
That didn't last, in another bad
weekend for the Spaniard. On the
next corner he ran way wide and off
the track after being jostled by Zarco,
dropping to last. "Luck is not going our
way at the moment," Rabat said. "But I
am sure it will change."
At the same time, Qatar winner
Jonas Folger on the AGR Kalex did
exactly the same thing, and the pair
charged back through together, Folger
breaking the lap record in the process.
Simeon led the first lap, chased
by Speed Up's Sam Lowes, Zarco,
Italtrans Kalex' Mika Kallio, Dynavolt
Kalex' Sandro Cortese and Tom Luthi
on the Derendinger Kalex. Rookie title
leader Paginas Amarillas' Alex Rins
was seventh.
Frenchman Zarco was feeling com-
fortable and confident; taking over up
front on lap three for a lead he would
never lose. But the pressure was
sustained until half distance; Lowes
taking up the pursuit on lap five while
Simeon close behind was coming
under pressure from Kallio, with Rins
tagging on behind the veteran from the
second lap.
Zarco's lead was clear and stable,
up to two seconds by lap eight. But
he did not feel secure for Lowes was
determined, and took back almost half
a second through the middle of the
race.
Simeon had dropped to the back of
the group, but was up to fourth again
ahead of Kallio when he slipped off on
lap 17, rejoining near the back.
Ahead of this pair, Rins was dog-
ging the wheeltracks of Lowes, whose
challenge was spent and the gap
growing again by lap 20.
Marquez tried to put
on a disappearing
act, and with over a
four-second lead 10
laps into the race, he
nearly pulled it off.
