Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/683145
MOTOGP FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 6 / MAY 22, 2016 AUTODROMO DEL MUGELLO / TUSCANY, ITALY P88 Kalex) led into the first corner, but Lorenzo Baldassarri (For- ward Kalex) was ahead by the end, with Hafizh Syahrin (Petro- nas Kalex), defending cham- pion Johann Zarco (Ajo Kalex), Marcel Schrotter (AGR Kalex), Lowes and second AGR rider Axel Pons in hot pursuit. Luthi would lead once more on lap three; Zarco would drop to fourth. But before half dis- tance, he was second be- hind Baldassarri, and the pair scrapped it out to the finish, changing places with increasing frequency until the flag, with Zar- co ahead for a second win this year by just three-hundredths. Lowes alone had chosen the harder tire, and suffered as a re- sult, scrapping for fourth behind Luthi with the persistent Syahrin. On the final lap, Lowes got ahead of both of them with a daring swoop into the fast Arrab- biata section, with Luthi fourth, then Syahrin and Pons. The pursuit group saw plenty of variety, with Rins moving steadily forward within it for an impressive seventh, pass- ing Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Kalex) on the last lap. Naka- gami had followed through for ninth, with Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Kalex) hanging on to complete the top 10. Lowes regained the title lead from Rins, 98-96, with Luthi (82) third, then a closing Zarco (81) and Aegerter (52). MOTO2 A CHAMPION'S RIDE It all went badly for Moto2, twice. The race started fine, pole starter Sam Lowes in the lead on the Federal Oils Kalex. Then, on lap four, Xavier Vierge crashed at speed, and, while he was okay, his Tech3 bike speared into the air-fence, which de- flated. The red flag came out and results were taken back to lap three to deter- mine grid positions for an 11-lap restart. New this year, quick restart rules dictate that riders must leave pit lane within 60 seconds of open- ing. Not all managed it, some blaming poor infor- mation from officials. So as they lined up again in revised order, eight riders were ordered to go to the back of the grid. No easy operation, and the rest sat there, engines and tempers get- ting hotter as time ticked away. Eventually the process was stopped, riders returned to the pits, and yet another restart—this time 10 laps in—was scheduled, with the errant riders now put to the back as they lined up again. Among them was not only front-row qualifier Takaaki Naka- gami (Idemitsu Kalex) and points leader Alex Rins (Paginas Amaril- las Kalex). Now it was a sprint and quite exciting. Thomas Luthi (Garage Plus Zarco was strong when it mattered and barely took the win from impressive teenager Baldassarri.