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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/704868
MOTOGP MOTOGP / FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 8 / JULY 16, 2016 SACHSENRING CIRCUIT / SAXONY, GERMANY P62 Close behind, Lorenzo Bal- dassarri had a remarkable recov- ery, finally passing sixth-placed Forward Kalex teammate Luca Marini (the rookie also impres- sively steadfast). Baldassarri had crashed in morning warm-up and dislocated his shoulder. Syahrin (Petronas Kalex), Raffin (Sports Millions Kalex), Vinales (Tech 3) and Aegerter (CarXpert Kalex) completed the top 10. Nakagami came through for 11th ahead of Remy Gardner (Tasca Kalex). With only 15 fin- ishers there were points for all, including double faller Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Kalex), two laps adrift. Xavier Simeon (QMMF Speed Up) also crashed out twice, but also set the fastest lap. Other notable crashers were Luthi and Corsi; joined by Oliveira, Vierge, Wilairot and Axel Pons. With his main rivals zero- pointing, Zarco seized half-time control of the championship, with 151 points ahead of Rins (126) and Lowes (121). No-score Luthi has 93, with Nakagami and Folger equal at 83. also fell again. It seemed the strongest of the leaders was Morbidelli, for after he took over on lap 17 he had soon gained a gap of better than 1.6 seconds, while Rins—battling with a fogged visor—was holding off Zarco, with Folger a couple of seconds adrift. He too, however, was des- tined for the gravel, to remount and also crash again. By now, Zarco had got ahead of Rins once more, and the Spaniard would drop behind Folger as well before he also fell on lap 26. It was not over yet, for Folger had been saving his tires, and mounted a last-ditch attack on the final lap. He actually got ahead into the last corner, but Zarco's exit was better, and he claimed his fourth win of the year by 0.06 of a second. A long way back, Julian Simon (QMMF Speed Up) got the reward of third for staying on board after a lonely afternoon, having worked his way past (among others) fourth-placed Mattia Pasini (Ital- trans Kalex) in the early stages. Moto 2 ZARCO ZIPS HOME Assen winner Takaaki Nakagami was on pole, ahead of title rivals Johann Zarco and Alex Rins, with third contender Sam Lowes languishing in 10th. The race started streaming wet, and while Zarco (Ajo Kalex) led into the first corner, Idemitsu Kalex-mounted Nakagami had taken over by the end of the lap, and he held on for the next six, Rins (Paginas Amarillas Kalex) and an inspired Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Kalex) in pursuit. Zarco meanwhile dropped behind Marcel Schrotter (AGR Kalex), until the German crashed out on lap five; then had his hands full ahead of EG-VDS teammates Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez. But it would be a race of many crashes, and on lap seven Naka- gami slipped off, then two laps later also Lowes (Federal Oils Kalex), after pushing through to sixth. Both remounted, Lowes only to fall again later on. Rins inherited the lead from Nakagami only to have a near- spill himself, giving way to Folger for laps eight and nine before taking over and taking a con- vincing gap shortly before half distance. Now Zarco had picked up his pace and was second, nar- rowly ahead of Folger and the EG teammates, with Marquez's challenge ending on lap 15 after he had moved past Folger into fourth. He also remounted, but Johann Zarco only just beat Folger to the line.