Rossi tops Down Under after Marquez crashes out

Sport360 staff 07:25 20/10/2014
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  • V for victory: Valentino Rossi finally won the Australian MotoGP, nine years after his last triumph Down Under. Pictures: Getty

    Italian Valentino Rossi won his first Australian MotoGP in nine years after world champion Marc Marquez crashed out while holding a big lead at Phillip Island yesterday.

    Rossi, nine-time world championship across all classes, swept to the front when Marquez came off his bike on the 19th lap, to beat Jorge Lorenzo and Britain’s Bradley Smith in an all-Yamaha podium.

    It was Smith’s first podium finish in two seasons of MotoGP and Rossi’s sixth premier-class win at Phillip Island – his first since 2005 – to extend his phenomenal record to 15 podium finishes in 18 trips to Australia.

    Marquez, who clinched backto- back world titles last weekend in Japan, had looked set to win his first MotoGP at Phillip Island with a massive four-second advantage on his Repsol Honda bike.

    But Marquez lost control of his front wheel on lap 19 and crashed out unharmed.

    “When I saw Marc crash it was a surprise, and to finish first at Phillip Island after my last victory here in 2005 is a great achievement,” Rossi said.

    “I love this track and I’ve won the two most important world championships of my career in 2001 and 2004. I won again here in 2005 but I have done a lot of podiums since then and never won.”

    Rossi’s victory pushed him to an eight-point lead over Lorenzo in the fight for second place in the world championship standings, with two races remaining.

    “I was focused on the second place in the championship [standings]. I am able to gain some points over Jorge, but it’s so close with two races to the end,” Rossi said.

    Marquez’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa retired on lap seven after his bike was hit in the rear by Andrea Iannone.

    Pedrosa, currently trailing Rossi By Staff Reporter by 25 points in fourth spot, looks to have lost his chance of finishing second overall.

    Rossi came off the third row of the grid and diced with Lorenzo for second spot as Marquez extended his lead with every lap. But the race took a dramatic turn when Marquez crashed out.

    “As I had no pressure on me I tried a different approach, pushing hard from the start to try to open the largest gap possible,” Marquez said.

    “We were having a good race, right up until the crash. It was a pity that I went down at a time that I was not riding on the limit or faster than the lap before.”

    Last year’s winner Lorenzo was critical of his Bridgestone tyres and said he was lucky to finish the race.

    “It’s a fantastic result for Yamaha, it’s been a long time, but to be honest I’m very disappointed because you work hard for the best set-up of the bike. But sometimes you get this type of tyres that are a complete disaster,” he said.

    “Over the last few laps it was a drama just to stay on the bike in the fast corners. But I managed to finish the race and I was very lucky, it’s probably been my luckiest second place.”

    Briton Cal Crutchlow crashed out on his Ducati while in second place on the final lap.

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