Round four of MotoGP 2013 is the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, run on the Bugatti circuit, the motorcycle track at Le Mans.
The track at Le Mans is legendary. The weather is cloudy and rainy. Giacomo Agostini won here in 1969, lapping the field. Riders have been dealing with injuries. Karel Abraham is ack. Ben Spies will not race, and development rider for Ducati, Michele Pirro, will run the bike. Andrea Ianonne is also not at his best either at this point. He's got trouble with his right arm. Colin Edwards is needing updats for his bike. Randy de Puniet is testing for Suzuki, who will return to MotoGP next year.
Also, Cal Crutchlow may have some competition for his seat at Tech 3 Yamaha from Moto 2 rider, Pol Espargaro. In qualifying, it was dry. Marc Marquez had a bad crash in practice. But, Marquez scored pole in qualifying. Andrea Dovizioso starts third, next to Jorge Lorenzo. Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow both crashed in practice. Nicky Hayden went to tenth place in qualifying. Valentino Rossi is not having good luck with his Yamaha. Andrea Ianonne and Michelee Pirro are together on the same row.
The bikes are on track, for what will be a wet race. This track is 2.5 miles long, built in 1965, by the French bridges and roads department. We're ready to race. The rain still falls. It'll be anyone's race. Brad Staring misses his grid space.
At the start, Andrea Dovizioso shoots into the lead of this 28 lap race. Dovizioso first, Lorenzo second. Marc Marquez is sinking. Dani Pedrosa moves up. Nicky Hayden, Andrea Ianonne and Valentino Rossi are starting to make an impact into Museum. Marc Marquez slides through Museum. Andrea Dovizioso leads, and is gapping the field. Dovizioso has one race win. He won in the wet at Donington Park, in England. Marquez passes Ianonne.
Aleix Espargaro has the top CRT bike. Rossi passes Stefan Bradl on the inside line. Rossi is moving up as Marquez pushes deep into the Dunlop chicane. Valentino Rossi was second here last year behind Lorenzo on the Ducati, in the wet. Into Garage Vert, it's Ducati followed by Yamaha. No wins. No losses. Not at this point, anyway. It's been a long while since Ducati has led a GP by a long way. Casey Stoner did, years ago. Pedrosa is quickest on the track so far as the top four run in the 1:47 range. Pedrosa won Jerez last time, a race yours truly did not see.
Dani Pedrosa had a crash at Garage Vert years ago with the late Marco Simoncelli. Cal Crutchlow and Nicky Hayden are both ahead of Marc Marquez at this point in time. Dovizioso is the one having to tiptoe, because he's the first bike who finds the water on the circuit. Thee Ducati's seems to run well in the rain. But, their cornering speeds are improving through testing. Cal Crutchlow has passed Nicky Hayden. Dani Pedrosa is ssecond. Crutchlow is fastest at a 1:45.9. Dovizioso blocks Pedrosa. Rossi is coming. Lorenzo is matching Pedrosa's pace right now, too.
Pedrosa passes Dovizioso in Garage Vert. But the Ducati comes back to the lead, and Pedrosa still passes back. Can Pedrosa pull away? What will happen? Valentino Rossi wants a piece of this, too. Cal Crutchlow runs another fast lap. 1:45.6 for Dovizioso as Jorge Lorenzo runs wide into La Chapelle (Chapel corner), and back through Museum again. Dani Pedrosa had a two second lead. But, Pedrosa runs wide into the gravel trap, almost. Dovizioso still leads this race.
Lorenzo is being pushed by Bradl. Michele Pirro is tenth now. Nine laps complete. Lorenzo is behind Bradl, going through La Chapelle. Dani Pedrosa is trying to attack Dovizioso into the blue esses. Dovizioso won the 125cc race at Le Mans the year he earned the championship in that category as Marc Marquez goes fastest at 1:44.267. The top riders are separated by just a second and a half. Pedrosa passes Dovizioso for the lead, right in the middle of the corner at Garage Vert! Wow! Dani Pedrosa is going to be in it here, and the same goes for Marquez, who is chasing down Jorge Lorenzo, and fast.
Dovizioso is back in the lead. But this battle is not over yet. Pedrosa passes again. The track is damp and Cal Crutchlow has come to third, passing Valentino Rossi, and Nicky Hayden is also up there. The race is half over. 14 laps complete. 14 to go. Can Pedrosa pull away? The bikes run through a drying Dunlop chicane. Yamaha needs points. Jorge Lorenzo is still having issues, about to be eaten up by Alvaro Bautista. Nicky Hayden is pushing Valentino Rossi as the sun is coming out. But, the track won't dry quickly enough.
Pedrosa runs a 1:43.527. Bautista continues to push Jorge Lorenzo. He's nopt having the race he wanted at all. If Pedrosa wins this race, he will take over the points lead from Marc Marquez. Nine laps remain now as Dovizioso and Crutchlow fight for second. Pedrosa wants to be the first repeat winner this year. Stefan Bradl loses his bike, and so does Valentino Rossi! Yikes! Hayden could have run into Rossi. But, fortunately, he didn't. Marc Marquez is now pushing. Bradl is back in the race. Aleix Espargaro is running well. But, the CRT bikes can't keep up with the top riders.
Bradl passes Iannone. Yonny Hernandez pits with a problem. It's game over. Pedrosa still leads. The track is drying. Pedrosa could get back-to-back wins here after winning in Spain two weeks ago. Crutchlow and Dovizioso scrap. They are former team mates of course. Last year, Crutchlow crashed out of this race. Five laps remain now. It's the last few laps of round four as Cal Crutchlow passes Dovizioso who gets loose. Crutchlow is second. Dovizioso had a huge wiggle.
Crutchlow could have a career best finish as Marc Marquez is pushing for the podium. Dani Pedrosa is on a Sunday ride. He'll take the lead in the championship, and he'll win a second consecutive Grand Prix. Valentino Rossi is going to finish twelfth. Bradley Smith will get his best MotoGP result, finishing ninth. Marc Marquez is pushing Andrea Dovizioso though. Dovizioso pushes, but has to yield to Marquez. Marquez is in third in his first wet MotoGP race. Michael Laverty moves over, letting these guys by. Dovizioso is hanging on, but he couldn't avoid letting Marquez go by.
Dani Pedrosa is on the last lap. This race is coming to an end. Ducati will get a top five with both their bikes. But, this race is owned by Dani Pedrosa. He's just enjoying the ride. It takes years for MotoGP riders to ride one of these high powered rocketships in the wet. But, Pedrosa will do it. He wins the French Grand Prix at Le Mans!
#26 Dani Pedrosa ESP Honda
Cal Crutchlow gets his first podium in MotoGP! Jorge Lorenzo will finish seventh, after winning this race last year. The next race in MotoGP is the Italian Grand Prix at the Mugello circuit, coming up in two weeks.
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