Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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MOTOGP MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 13 / OCTOBER 18, 2015 PHILLIP ISLAND / PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA P68 win of the year (one more than Rossi) was also his career 50th, and one of his best. Lorenzo's consolation at a surprise defeat was that, all the same, the title tide had turned back his way. For that was only part of the drama. Their companions all race I thought then maybe it would be possible. Then push, push, push." When they arrived at turn 10 (MG Corner), "…I was behind. I thought, 'Okay, I will try, but only if I see clear.' Then I see clear, just release the brake and go in." The Repsol Honda rider's fifth MOTO2: RINS RUINS THEM AT THE ISLAND For a second time, events proceed- ed without Tito Rabat. The EG-VDS Kalex rider exacerbated his existing injuries with a heavy Friday crash, and withdrew again. It was the perfect opportunity for star rookie Alex Rins to take over sec- ond in the championship. He seized it with both hands. Dominating free practice and start- ing from pole, the Spaniard finished the first lap third, behind front-row companions Sam Lowes and surprise second-placer Axel Pons. By the end of the straight, though, he drafted past both, and would never see another bike in front of him again. Pons would be called in for a jump- start ride-through; Lowes would suc- cumb to a hard-pressing Thomas Lu- thi, but by the time that happened, at the start of lap nine, Rins already had a gap of almost 1.4 seconds, and had only to keep going to claim his second win of the year by six seconds. Luthi's reign in second lasted only until lap 17 when he ran onto the grass outside MG and slipped off, remount- ing for an eventual 15th. Lowes would not be troubled and was glad of the 20 points. They'd changed the gearing slightly only to be caught out by a shift in the wind. "It was okay for the lap, but impos- sible on the straight," Lowes said. "I realized that the first time they came fly- ing past me at the end of the first lap." Behind all this, Jonas Folger had come charging through from the fifth row of the grid, taking what was then fourth off Mika Kallio on lap six. He quickly outpaced a pack of hard men that included new champion Johann Zarco, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Sandro Cortese, Xavier Simeon and Takaaki Nakagami. While Zarco had an undistinguished race, it was Baldassarri who emerged from the brawl, and closed up to over- take Folger on lap 17. The German stayed poised to counter-attack for three laps then suddenly slowed and cruised to the pits with a flat back tire! This left a career first podium for the Italian, while a long way back Nakagami finally, if narrowly, got the better of Simeon for fourth. Luis Salom had cut through to take sixth, well clear of Zarco by the end, with Kallio dropping away in eighth. (Left) Incredibly, Marquez had never scored a point in MotoGP at Phillip Island before. He set that problem straight this time around. (Right) Violence and poetry in motion as the top four paint the track surface at turn 11.