MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 5 / MAY 18-20, 2018
BUGATTI CIRCUIT / LE MANS, FRANCE
P80
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
F
or once, the weather was
perfect for the French
MotoGP at Le Mans. And
the omens likewise—pulling a
new record crowd of more than
105,000 fans.
They went home disappoint-
ed. Thanks to Johann Zarco.
After being the first French
rider to claim pole position for
his home grand prix since Chris-
tian Sarron in 1988, and after
promising to "enjoy this moment,
because these feelings don't
come very often in your life,"
it all went wrong for the Tech3
star. Fighting for the lead in the
early stages of the 27-lapper,
he became the latest victim of a
weekend of many crashes (81 on
Friday and Saturday alone, and
another 28 on race day, a new
record in the dry).
The dream ended in the gravel
at Garage Vert, the double-right
corners before the back straight.
"I think I was too fast, went a
bit wider, and the front close. I
didn't expect it because my feel-
ing was good. Maybe I should
have waited until there was less
fuel in the bike."
He was not the only early
victim.
The two factory Ducatis had
taken off in the lead, Andrea
Dovizioso tailing Jorge Lorenzo.
Mindful of how he'd been held
up at the last round two week
ago, Dovi made haste to get to
the front, at the chicane at the
Marcy
And The
Good vibrations, good race
management and great skill once
again served Marc Marquez well
as he took the French MotoGP win
when others crucially faltered
Marquez leads
Petrucci (9), who
is making a good
case for the factory
Ducati next year after
second at Le Mans.
