MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 3 / APRIL 22-23, 2017
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS / AUSTIN, TEXAS
P64
laps, with the Frenchman push-
ing inside on lap seven, trigger-
ing the run-off, but coming off
second best.
He gradually lost touch, while
Crutchlow was as gradually clos-
ing up. The Briton ran wide just
after half distance and appeared
to have lost his chance of an at-
tack. But he came back, and fi-
nally got ahead of the rookie with
two laps to go, securing fourth
by three-tenths over the line.
Fifth was another excellent
result for rookie Zarco.
third podium in three races (the
only rider to do so) gave him the
lead on points.
"It is a big surprise, especially
for us," Rossi said. "After the
problems in the pre-season tests
we thought a lot about using the
old bike, but the new one has
some positives." Last year's had
been difficult as the laps wore
on, but the 2017 version has
shown that "at the end of the
races, I can attack."
He had been under strong
pressure from Zarco in the early
on lap nine, and steadily pulled
clear.
Rossi was more than a
second adrift at half distance
but was soon closing up on the
troubled Honda. He later credit-
ed the 2017 Yamaha with making
the difference, confounding his
earlier misgivings.
He took a second off Pedrosa
with two laps to go, and quickly
opened a gap of more than two
seconds. It meant his team had
no need to inform him of the
three-tenths penalty, and his
