MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 6 / JUNE 2-4, 2017
MUGELLO CIRCUIT / TUSCANY, ITALY
P90
steam.
"I couldn't ride the way I like
to," Rossi said. Fourth was still
"a gift," considering even start-
ing the race had been doubtful a
few days before.
Vinales had no such trouble,
and made it past the fading
Petrucci with four laps to go. But
he was a bit torn.
"I am the sort of rider who
will give everything in the last
six or seven laps." But with both
Hondas nowhere near, "I also
thought about the champion-
ship, and that 20 points were
good."
The next fight was for fifth,
and it was a damp squib. Marc
Marquez (Repsol Honda) had
14, Petrucci also passed Rossi.
"When I got to fourth I decid-
ed to stay fourth," Petrucci said.
"Then I decided—it's my home
race."
Passing Rossi, he expected to
be passed back, but instead he
now found Vinales in his sights,
and one lap later he was ahead
of him and on Dovi's tail.
"Now I thought I would try to
win," Petrucci said. "But it was
so hard to follow Dovi, and I was
out of breath, and I also used up
my rear tire."
Rossi was still close enough
for a four-way battle over the last
five laps, but it was deceptive.
After his pre-race motocross
injuries, he'd basically run out of
"I was worried about my en-
ergy, but I was able to ride fast
in a smooth way," Dovi said later.
Mugello was one of the worst
circuits for his arm-pump prob-
lems, he said, but work on the
bike's settings had made it less
of a fight to ride the notoriously
physical Desmosedici.
He followed Vinales until just
after half distance, then, "I didn't
know if I could get away, but I
decided to go in front."
Rossi was still close in third,
but by lap six Danilo Petrucci on
the Pramac Ducati (also a GP17)
had got past Lorenzo, and was
closing fast. Two laps later he
had made it a quartet up front,
and as Dovi took the lead on lap
Maverick Vinales
(25) at one stage
looked like he
may break away,
but Dovizioso
(04) had other
plans.
