Le Mans MotoGP: Marquez battles to another win

Reigning champion Marc Marquez has made it five wins in the first five races of 2014 despite running off track on the opening lap.

The 21-year-old Spaniard was pushed wide and over the kerb by Jorge Lorenzo on the first lap and rejoined in tenth place.

Just ten laps later Marquez had fought his way up to second place behind race leader Valentino Rossi. The Italian then made a mistake with 16 laps to go allowing Marquez in to the lead.

Rossi was unable to challenge Marquez as the Repsol Honda rider eased in to the distance.

Alvaro Bautista took the last step on the podium in third after making his way through the pack.

MotoGP rookie Pol Espargaro, who qualified second on the grid, was unable to hold off the late charges of Marquez and Bautista to take his maiden podium in the premier class and had to settle for fourth place.

Espargaro’s team-mate Bradley Smith was in touch with the front group early in the race but faded, eventually finishing 10th ahead of compatriots Cal Crutchlow and Scott Redding in 11th and 12th respectively.

1 25 93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 159.5 44’03.925
2 20 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 159.4 +1.486
3 16 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 159.3 +3.144
4 13 44 Pol ESPARGARO SPA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 159.3 +3.717
5 11 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 159.3 +4.077
6 10 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 159.1 +7.088
7 9 6 Stefan BRADL GER LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 158.8 +11.527
8 8 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 158.2 +22.103
9 7 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 158.1 +22.626
10 6 38 Bradley SMITH GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 158.1 +23.108
11 5 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Ducati Team Ducati 158.0 +25.780
12 4 45 Scott REDDING GBR GO&FUN Honda Gresini Honda 157.2 +39.523
13 3 68 Yonny HERNANDEZ COL Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 157.0 +42.544
14 2 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Drive M7 Aspar Honda 157.0 +42.736
15 1 17 Karel ABRAHAM CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Honda 156.2 +56.644
16  70 Michael LAVERTY GBR Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 155.2 +1’14.123
17  5 Colin EDWARDS USA NGM Forward Racing Forward Yamaha 154.8 +1’19.723
18  23 Broc PARKES AUS Paul Bird Motorsport PBM 154.2 +1’30.934
19  63 Mike DI MEGLIO FRA Avintia Racing Avintia 154.0 +1’34.521
Not Classified
  29 Andrea IANNONE ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 148.9 27 Laps
  8 Hector BARBERA SPA Avintia Racing Avintia 141.8 27 Laps