downbeat starting positions after
weather-stricken practice and
qualifying left a higgledy-piggle-
dy grid, the season could hardly
have started better for Movistar
Yamaha.
Vinales probably didn't need
much help, but it came anyway.
Firstly from Marc Marquez,
who took a blazing start from his
fourth straight pole position at
the fast and rhythmical 2.98-mile
lakeside circuit in the distant
vicinity.
He finished the third of 25
laps already 2.2 seconds clear
of Vinales, who had just taken
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
I
t took a long time for everyone
to get to the distant corner of
Argentina. The Termas de Rio
Hondo circuit offered plenty to
make up for it. Yet the journey
was only worthwhile for one of
the major factory teams.
Ducati and Honda might as
well not have bothered.
Likewise Aprilia and Suzuki.
The opposite was true for
KTM, with both their brand new
bikes in the points for the first
time and at only the second
attempt after a race of high attri-
tion.
But it was Yamaha that took
the greatest benefit, and Maver-
ick Vinales especially. He almost
looked serene as he powered
away to his second win in the
first two races, the first Yamaha
rider to do so since Wayne
Rainey in 1990.
With teammate Valen-
tino Rossi a clear sec-
ond, both overcoming
VOL. 54 ISSUE 14 APRIL 11, 2017 P67
(Left) Marquez's crash came after just four laps—the world champion
pushing hard in a pace that was ultimately unsustainable. (Below) Dani
Pedrosa (26) was going great until he joined teammate Marquez in the
turn-two gravel trap. Johann Zarco (5) was, once again, brilliant.
