Round seven of the MotoGP World Championship is the Dutch Grand Prix (Dutch TT, or Tourist Trophy), at the Assen circuit in Assen, Holland. The official race name is the Iveco TT Assen. Jorge Lorenzo has had an issue. As the morning warmup unfolds, Valentino Rossi is fastest. Rain has been in the forecast through the weekend. It will be mostly cloudy, and dry. Jorge Lorenzo had a monster wreck on Thursday in practice. Marc Marquez also wrecked. He broke a finger and a toe. Jorge Lorenzo broke his left collarbone, but might still race today.
Dani Pedrosa also had a huge crash. This track is known as "The Cathedral" of motorcycle racing. The track is 2.8 miles long. It can reward, and punish equally. This is the 65th running of thee race in the World Championship. After Jorge Lorenzo's crash, Yamaha team director Massimo Merigali explained the whole situation where Lorenzo flew back to Barcelona overnight and had surgery on his collarbone, putting in a titanium plate, and Lorenzo will race today.
Lorenzo is in pain, but he passed two physical tests. In qualifying, Cal Crutchlow has taken his first MotGP pole, and became the first British rider to take pole in over a decade. Stefan Bradl will start third. Valentino Rossi has fourth. Dani Pedrosa managed to qualify fifth. Aleix Espargaro scores the highest qualifying place for a CRT bike. Michele Pirro fills in for Ben Spies once again and Ivan Silva fills in for Hiroshi Aoyama who hurt his hand last time out in Mugello.
The weather is improving as the bikes set out on their warmup lap. Assen is 2.8 miles, with 18 corners. It's a speedy track with cambered turns. Assen has been on the calendar since the MotoGP World Championship started in 1949. 26 laps scheduled. Can Cal Crutchlow win his first race? Can Stefan Bradl? At the start, Jorge Lorenzo has a good start and Dani Pedrosa takes the lead. Crutchlow slides from third to fifth. Valentino Rossi is fourth behind Marc Marquez who passes Stefan Bradl immediately.
Jorge Lorenzo is up to eighth. Honda's are 1-2-3. Bradley Smith runs wide and Aleix Espargaro is right on top of him. Rossi passes Stefan Bradl for third spot. He was forced to sit up. Lorenzo flies past Bradley Smith. Cal Crutchlow has to fly on full fuel tanks. Pedrosa leads it. Crutchlow will get stronger as the race goes on. Lorenzo is now fifth. Smith is passed by Espargaro. Valentino Rossi is fastest, running a lap at 1:35 flat. They run down the back straight, which is crooked, somewhat. Rossi has won the Assen TT seven times.
Rossi cannot get to Marquez. Not yet anyway. Cal Crutchlow is fastest, continuing to run 1:35 flat laps. Rossi is still pushing Crutchlow through the corner. Rossi is making his move. Pedrosa, Rossi, and Marquez are running in the top three. This is Rossi's best race since round one in Qatar back in April. Rossi is being urged on by his fans in Italy. Rossi is now a half a second quicker than Pedrosa. This Dutch TT is definitely heating up.
Valentino Rossi has passed deep on the brakes, passing Pedrosa, picking up the lead! The fans are going berserk! Lorenzo is third, and hanging in there, even with the collarbone he's had surgery on with a titanium plate, and eight screws in it. Stefan Bradl and Aleix Espargaro are sixth and seventh followed by Alvaro Bautista, Nicky Hayden, and Andrea Dovizioso. Pedrosa and Rossi run 1:35.3 along with Crutchlow. Lorenzo is fastest at 1:35.1 as he's closing on Marc Marquez. Eight laps are complete.
Cal Crutchlow runs behind Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez is dropping behind Pedrosa and Rossi. Crutchlow continues to push Lorenzo. He's not giving up. Ten laps are in the books. Three laps to halfway. Stefan Bradl languishes in sixth as Alvaro Bautista passes Aleix Espargaro. Dovizioso and Hayden run together. Nicky Hayden won at Assen in 2006. Lorenzo is slowing down a bit, starting to feel uncomfortable, very likely dealing with some pain. These riders are supercharged. A broken collarbone would leave a mere mortal human being in tears.
Lukas Pesek retires from the race. Crutchlow is losing time to Marquez and Lorenzo. Rossi has not won since 2010. The race is now half over. The two Honda's can't quite keep up with Rossi's Yamaha. Jorge Lorenzo is still running fourth. Cal Crutchlow passes Lorenzo. This is the battle to watch on the track. Crutchlow gos quicker as the fuel load burns off. The Repsol Honda's are hanging on. Alvaro Bautista is under pressure from Aleix Espargaro for seventh. Bradley Smith is eleventh, as Hayden and Dovizioso battle on their Ducati's. Both of the riders for Ducati have not had the best weekends. Ducati seems to be languishing once again.
Marquez gets by Pedrosa for second place. Eight laps remain, and Valentino Rossi stretches his margin. Crutchlow is coming, and fast. The gap between Pedrosa and Crutchlow is closing. This will be monstrous for the world championship. Rossi has 105 overall victories. Could he get 106 today? Dani Pedrosa runs deep into the corner. Marquez has cleared Pedrosa, but can't make headway to catch Rossi. Six laps remain in the Dutch TT. Crutchlow is going after Marquez, and he DOES make it past Pedrosa! Wow! Pedrosa will be kicking himself! Can Crutchlow catch Marquez? Jorge Lorenzo is keeping the championship alive.
Pedrosa is not going to keep up with Crutchlow. Rossi is still looking for victory. Can he do it? Crutchlow runs a 1:35.1. He's 6/10ths behind Marquez. Crutchlow is continuing to hound Marquez. Crutchlow is strong through the exit of the corners as Marquez is going wide. Crutchlow has to focus on his own race, but he's closing on Marquez. He's not going to make it work. Valentino Rossi will win his first race in almost three years! Crutchlow is being blocked by Marquez. The Rossi fans are going wild! This is the last lap. Marquez holds the advantage.
Rossi is going to win this race. it's undeniable. But, Crutchlow loses ground. He's off the road slightly, and will have to settle for third. He clips the rear wheel of Marquez's motorcycle. :"The Doctor" is back in the house! Those two years at Ducati are going to be a distant memory. Rossi is going to win his eighth Dutch TT! It is his 80th MotoGP win! Wow!
#46 Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha
Lorenzo has his own victory, finishing this race after being in absolute agony due to that collarbone injury. No Pedrosa and No Lorenzo on the podium. Whoa. Rossi is champ, today. Rossi hasn't won in 45 races. The streak is over! The next race is the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in Saxony, Germany, coming up in two weeks.
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