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Rossi rules on the Island as the Hondas fall

Valentino Rossi is moving closer towards becoming the best Italian rider in history. (AAP Image/Martin Philbey)
Roar Guru
19th October, 2014
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Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi claimed victory at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, after a dramatic race in which both factory Honda bikes failed to see the chequered flag.

The Doctor, who started his 250th grand prix in the premier class at the Phillip Island circuit from eighth on the grid, battled through the race with his factory Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo for second position.

It wasn’t until pole sitter and race leader Marc Marquez crashed out at the bottom of Lukey Heights with ten laps remaining that Rossi and Lorenzo emerged into the lead.

Tyre wear left the 2013 race winner Lorenzo unable to keep with his teammate after Marquez went down.

There were many crashes and falls during the 27-lap race, which eventually left enough riders to claim all the available points.

On the tenth lap, there was a three-way incident involving Stefan Bradl, Aleix Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa on the factory Honda machine.

Both Bradl and Espargaro crashed out of the race, much to the dismay of Aleix, who smashed the windscreen on his Forward Yamaha. The damage done to Pedrosa’s bike meant that a lap later he had to retire in the pit lane.

Aleix’s brother Pol also didn’t reach the end of the race, suffering a fall which wrecked the opportunity for the Spaniard to challenge for a first podium in the premier class.

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Cal Crutchlow was the rider making impressions in his final few races with Ducati. The Briton, who was sat in third after the Marquez crash, didn’t waste any time behind Lorenzo on the factory Yamaha and made his way into second.

However there was disaster for Crutchlow as he bowed out on the final lap, allowing his former Tech3 teammate Bradley Smith to snatch the final place on the podium.

There were no such troubles for Rossi out in front, who had taken victory at the Island almost a decade after winning there last on his M1 Yamaha.

The popular victory for the Italian cements his second position in the world championship standings, putting him ahead of Lorenzo by 8 points and Pedrosa, who scored no points this weekend, by 15.

Lorenzo claimed his tenth podium of the season, while Smith on the Tech3 satellite machine achieved his first podium in the premier class. Smith’s third position ensured that Yamaha took the top-three places for the Australian race.

Despite having already clinched his second world title in MotoGP, Marquez would have been aiming to equal Aussie legend Mick Doohan’s record of 12 premier class victories in a single season. He will have the chance to challenge the record again next time out in Sepang, Malaysia.

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