MotoGP 2013: Assen Results

THE WORLD has waited two and a half years to see it, but today at Assen, Valentino Rossi stood on the top step of the podium once more. After a lacklustre return to Yamaha for 2013, the victory today (29 June) is a much need confidence boost for the nine-time world champion who won by a comfortable margin ahead of the battling pair of Marc Marqez and pole sitter Cal Crutchlow.

It was the emphatic Italian’s 80th grand prix victory, who moved through from fourth on the grid to pass Stefan Bradl, Marc Marqez and Dani Pedrosa to take the lead with 20 laps to go. It looked for a time as though The Doctor was unable to pull away from the chasing Repsol Honda pair, but as the race entered its final phase the two Spaniards had no answer to the consistent pace of the #46 machine.

Crutchlow’s sensational pole did not help the British rider in the early part of the race, as by turn one he had dropped back to fifth, with Dani Pedrosa rocketing into the lead in his usual fashion. The featherweight Spaniard couldn’t maintain race-winning pace, however, and after Rossi made his way past both Repsol Hondas into the lead, Pedrosa slipped back to a distant fourth.

Arguably the most incredible story of the day was not, surprisingly, Rossi’s victory, but the herculean effort of his Factory Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, who having broken his collarbone in wet free practice on Thursday, defied all the odds and climbed aboard his M1 Yamaha for today’s race.

Determined not to let Pedrosa walk away with a bucket load of championship points, Lorenzo fought through the pain from 12th on the grid, briefly getting as high as fourth before eventually slipping back to fifth across the line. As the flag came out, the reigning world champion was visibly exhausted, but only lost two points to Pedrosa which would otherwise have been 13 had he not been able to race.