MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 5 / MAY 9, 2016
LE MANS / LE MANS, FRANCE
P64
adrift, and under severe pressure
at the end.
Not only had Takaaki Nakagami
(Idemitsu Kalex) closed to within
less than a second, but so also
had former championship leader
and Jerez winner Sam Lowes
(Federal Oils Kalex), just eight-
tenths behind after a storming last
few laps. "I pushed really hard to
try to grab fourth, but I was strug-
gling with the front and to make
the bike turn in on corner entry,"
said the Englishman.
Behind them defending cham-
pion Johann Zarco (Ajo Kalex)
had been narrowly leading a
huge midfield gang, only for his
home crowd to give a collec-
tive moan of despair when he
crashed on lap 17, also remount-
ing to finish second to last.
Seventh ultimately went to an
inspired Axel Pons (AGR Kalex),
who had moved steadily through
the gang after finishing the first
lap 19th.
His last victim had been
Zarco's long-time pursuer Hafizh
Syahrin (Petronas Kalex), with
class rookie Miguel Oliveira
(Leopard Kalex) taking a best-so-
far ninth and Luis Salom (SAG
Kalex) completing the top ten.
Only narrowly, for Xavier Simeon
(QMMF Speed Up) had come
charging up in the latter laps to a
couple of tenths behind.
Still close, Rossi's half-brother
Luca Marini (Forward Kalex)
came n 12th, followed by Domi-
nique Aegerter (CarXpert Kalex)
and Marcel Schrotter (AGR
Kalex), who had dropped to the
back of the gang. The last point
went to Xavi Vierge (Tech 3).
American first-timer Danny
Eslick, substituting for the injured
Efren Vazquez on the JPMoto
Suter, found it tough in the deep
end, finishing last, but still (just)
on the same lap as the leader.
Rins took over the title lead
on 87 points to Lowes' 82; Luthi
moved to third on 69, then no-
scorers Zarco 56 and Folger 47.
American Danny Eslick (filling in
for the injured Efren Vazquez on
the JPMoto Suter) came home last
in the Moto2 race but still on the
same lap as the leaders.
