Cycle News

VOL. 55 ISSUE 14 APRIL 10, 2018 P79 VDS Kalex) had recovered from a couple of misadventures, twice running wide, and he was fifth, barely two tenths behind Baldassarri. It was an excellent race for Remy Gardner (Tech3), son of 500 Champion Wayne Gard- ner, after a strong qualifying in ninth. By half distance he had pushed through to lead and then escape from a group going for sixth, and he was comfortably there to the finish, the best in his career. A couple of seconds adrift, class rookie and Moto3 cham- pion Joan Mir (EG-VDS Kalex) managed to regain seventh from Dominique Aegerter (Kief- er KTM) by less than a tenth. Qatar winner Pecco Bagnaia (SKY VR46 Kalex) was mired in the next group after qualifying 15th; but managed to get clear by the end for ninth, ahead of Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Kalex), after recapturing 10th from Iker Lecuona (SII KTM) with two laps to go. Danny Kent (Speed Up) had lost touch with this group in the finish, but narrowly held on to 12th from a pursuing early frontrunner Sam Lowes (SII KTM). Another six seconds away, Isaac Vinales (Kalex) and Andrea Locatelli (Kalex) took the last points, with Luca Marini (Kalex) missing out by half a second. There were only three non- finishers, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) crashing out after hitting the back end of Jorge Na- varro when the Spaniard braked unexpectedly early. Navarro also retired, his Kalex damaged. Jules Danilo burned his clutch off the start. The win gave Pasini the points lead from Baldassarri, 38 to 25, then Bagnaia (32), Vierge (28) Oliveira and Mar- quez (both 27). Moto3 The gamblers came short in the first race of the day, while rising Italian star Marco Bezzecchi laid on a display of consistent speed on wet tires to claim his own first win, and the first for a KTM since the Italian GP last year. Moto3 started on a damp but drying track, and tire choice was vexed. First-time pole starter Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Honda) started on slicks; like- wise Bulega, Atiratphuvapat and Ramirez at the back of the grid. Then Qatar winner and title favorite Jorge Martin (Del Conca Honda) and KTM's Phil- lip Oettl also gambled, pulling in after the warm-up lap to switch to slicks and start some 30 seconds adrift from pit lane. Bezzecchi and co. proved them wrong. The 19-year-old led into the first corner, and pulled steadily clear, never challenged, at one stage almost eight seconds clear. After the race, he was hugged by men- tor Rossi. "I am so happy I have already forgotten everything," He was too fast, and his own crash sent Yurchenko flying. The rules forbid riding "causing danger to other com- petitors," and it seemed likely Canet had earned some sanction, at least a grid-position penalty, if not worse. But Race Direction's investigation con- cluded it was "a racing incident," with no further action. PICK A TIRE Michelin added a fourth tire to the normal three-front/three-rear alloca- tion for Argentina, where the Termas de Rio Hondo track is already a hard taskmaster for the rubber, with high temperatures and fast corners added to an abrasive surface. In 2016 race direction was obliged to specify a hard tire, cut race distance and add a compulsory midrace bike change after one of the then-new rear Michelins disintegrated in practice. The extra tire would have complicated tire choice, had rain not meant the dry tires were used only on the first day of practice. LIKING LAKESIDE Riders welcomed a partial resurfacing of the well-liked but little-used Lake- side Circuit, after growing problems with bumps had spoiled the rhythm of the third-fastest lap of the year. The resurfacing covers the final three very tight corners, and continues unbroken through the first four turns, leading on to the long back straight. Only Phillip Island (113.1 mph) and marginally Mug- ello (110.1 mph) have a faster best-lap average speed than the 2.98-mile track in the northwestern hinterland of Argentina, where in 2014 Marquez ran 110.04 mph. Briefly...

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