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MOTOGP FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 / APRIL 20-22, 2018 CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS / AUSTIN, TEXAS P66 back to regain the lead. For the next three laps they tussled, changing places several times, but on lap 13 Bagnaia led over the line for the first time. Marquez nosed ahead briefly on the next lap, but the job was done, and from there to the end the dark blue Kalex pulled steadily away to win by better than two seconds. "That was much better than my first win in Qatar," said Bag- naia, "because I had a big crash on Friday, and this is always a difficult track for me." If Marquez was disappointed to lose the lead, he didn't show it. "The podium was always my target this weekend, and we made it," he said. Argentine GP star Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Kalex) was the next to Vinales (41), Crutchlow and Zarco (both 38). Moto2 Pole starter Alex Marquez gal- loped away from the start, draw- ing steadily clear of Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Kalex) in convincing style. But Pasini had gambled on a hard rear tire, and when Pecco Bagnaia (SKY VR46 Kalex) took second on lap two and imme- diately dropping him off, the EG-VDS Kalex rider was under threat. "It was easy to go at his pace," Bagnaia said later, while Mar- quez told that a shift in the wind conditions left him struggling. All the same, it was only at half dis- tance that Bagnaia moved past him, and Marquez fought straight Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia). Rabat got ahead, then the other two barged past into the tight turn one as they started lap 15, leaving him shaking his head and losing further ground. Rabat got back ahead of Miller for eighth at the finish; Espargaro 10th. Another three seconds away Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) had another downbeat and lonely ride to 12th, comfort- ably clear of Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM) and top privateer Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda). Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Ducati) took the final point. As well as Rins, Monster Ya- maha's Syahrin crashed out and Karel Abraham (Ducati) retired. Dovizioso took a narrow points lead over Marquez, 46:45, then Dovizioso's weekend never really came together, the Italian finished fifth.