MOTOGP
2017 FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 13 / SEPTEMBER 8-10, 2017
MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT MARCO SIMONCELLI / RIVIERA DI RIMINI, ITALY
P68
their hero when they jeered
and catcalled Marquez on the
podium.
The race was a thriller, with
plenty of changes of fortune
against the steadfast rides of the
top four.
The first dazzle came from
Jorge Lorenzo, who leapt into an
early lead from the middle of the
second row, with front-row start-
ers Marquez and Dovi in pursuit.
Jorge forged away, and
seen lots of flags and get-well
messages, preferring to nurse
his broken leg in nearby Tavul-
lia. But rather surprisingly his
absence had only a small effect
on crowd figures. Although race
day attendance was down by
4000, at 96,324, this could be
attributed to the bad weather;
and weekend figures were
almost the same as last year at
158,263. Those who did turn up,
though, might have embarrassed
But while Marquez and Dovi
share four wins apiece, the
Honda man has three second
places, and Dovi just one, so
Marquez is technically ahead.
The spectre of the rider hold-
ing fourth overall loomed large.
Not surprisingly, since Valentino
Rossi lives close to the Marco
Simoncelli circuit just inland
from the Adriatic beach resorts
around Rimini. Rossi didn't visit
the track, where he would have
Jorge Lorenzo
(99) made the
early running on
the factory Ducati,
but pitched it
down the road on
lap six.
