Here are the highlights from the Moto 3 race at Assen in Holland, during the Dutch TT weekend, at "the cathedral" of motorcycle racing.
It's windy and a little on the cool side for round seven of Moto 3. 22 laps scheduled. Maverick Vinales, Alex Marquez, and Miguel Oliviera, are on the front row. Oliviera scores pole. He is from Portugal, and breaks the streak of Spanish riders winning pole positions in Moto 3. Watch for Jasper Iwema. He's a local favorite. Here we go. This is going to be a good race.
At the start, Oliviera gets a good start, and Luis Salom is moving up already. Jonas Folger moves up from row two coming into the first left hand corner and down the back straight. Salom is pressuring Oliviera as Arthur Sissis moves up. Jack Miller pushes past Maverick Vinales. Juanfran Guevara falls, and there's a local yellow. Folger has moved to second spot. He passes Marquez and looks at Rins. Niccolo Antonelli is tenth. Niklas Ajo is there. Guevara is being rescued and the accident is being cleaned up.
Miguel Oliviera is third. Luis Salom watches the top battle. This was a one bike crash for Juanfran Guevara. Miguel Oliviera is second going past Alex Rins. Luis Salom passes Jonas Folger. Oliveira sets fast lap. Not sure of the time. Olivieira and Rins are racing each other seriously. Sissis and Folger get passed down at the bottom end of the track. Bike #71 has a jump start for one of the Dutch riders. Rins is ahead. Vubakes rybs fast kao at 1:44.6. Sissis and Marquez are trying their best to stick with the front of the pack.
Now, Arthur Sissis will be penalized a place for passing under a yellow flag. Guevara is OK. But, he has a sore shoulder. Rins runs a new fast lap. 1:43.961 on lap four. Marquez tries passing Luis Salom. Rins' gap is a third of a second. Miguel Oliviera is running really well. van Leuven (not sure of his first name), is serving his penalty. He's a Dutch wildcard rider. Niklas Ajo is right behind Arthur Sissis. Rins and Salom are 7/10ths apart. Salom is not going to let Rins go.
Maverick Vinales has the fastest time of all. He's won Moto 3 at Assen the last two years. Danny Webb is now 18th. He and Zulfahmmi Khairuddin are both moving up. Miguel Oliviera passes. Luis Salom is very quick. He could and should have won this race last year. But, he made a mistake braking, and finished fourth. The Honda's don't have the edge on the KTM's or the Kalex KTM's. Miguel Oliviera is coming back, too. Rins is fastest so far. Jonas Folger lurks in sixth spot. He's hanging onto the top five./ Alexei Masbou is also running well, as is Niccolo Antonelli. Zulfahmmi Khairuddin is in this fight, too.
Rins is going to increase his gap, because these other guys behind are just all over each other. The gap is up to one second. Guevara is not seriously hurt. But, now it seems his hip hurts. Hope he's alright. Danny Webb has fallen. Webb is holding his arm, meaning either it, or, his collarbone is hurt. That's no way to celebrate your 100th Grand Prix start. Marquez, Oliviera, and Folger are all battling each other. Ajo, Masbou, Vinales, and others are fighting for position in the back part of the top ten or so. Niklas Ajo's bike is taken care of by his dad.
Jasper Iwema and Jakub Kornfeil are running well. Brian Shelton is, too. He's the Dutch wildcard. So, the Dutch riders are running well at home. New fast lap. Hard to keep up. This is a competitive race, folks. If Rins wins, he'll gain points, and get back in the championship hunt, after crashing at Jerez. Vinales wants by Salom. What will he do? The gap is 1.388 seconds. Now, it's gone down. Oliviera is setting fast laps. Ten to go. We are past halfway now. Oliviera gets another fast lap at 1:43.414. The Aussies (Miller and Sissis), scrap. Alex Marquez passes Maverick Vinales.
John McPhee was in the points, but he's no longer there. Brian Shelton is the same way. Rins and Salom are pushing. Salom is reeling Rins in. Marquez passes Salom up. He's probably riding for his own pride and not his team's satisfaction. Seven laps left. Rins won't move away from everyone else. This is going to be a closely contested Moto 3 race, as they all are. Miguel Oliviera is running well on his Mahindra, battling four factory KTM's. It's still anyone's race.
Miller is still battling Sissis. Danny Webb will have his shoulder looked at by doctors at the medical center. Vinales and Marquez battle for second. Marquez takes the lead. Rins gets snookered. Vinales is very confident he might be able to pull something off before the end of this one. Vinales is just hanging on, and here comes Rins, just like Cortese and Kent last year. Five laps left. Alex Marquez passes Alex Rins. Vinales has the lead. It's going to come down to the last lap, and into the chicane.
Jonas Folger can't do anything except hold station in sixth. Rins passes Marquez, forcing him to sit up. Marquez is back in front of Rins. The Dutch wildcard rider, retires. But, it's now a tussle between Rins and Marquez. Vinales can increase his lead. Marquez is going for it. Three laps remain. Marquez is being pressured. Here comes Salom, passing Rins. Luis Salom has now taken over second! The plot thickens. It's going to be close coming to the finish, as Vinales wants to do the triple, winning at Assen for a third consecutive year.
Marquez is going to push Rins, and poor old Luis Salom, he's not going to make it work. Jasper Iwema is out. He's devastated to be out of his home race. It's Vinales vs. Salom. Two laps left now. Whoa! Salom takes the lead from Vinales! Who will win? Salom wants his third win. Now, Vinales takes the lead back. It's a five way battle for the lead. Here comes Oliviera. Salmom dives. Who's going to get this. Salom is under pressure from Oliviera. Rins passes for third. Salom is right behind Vinales. Stand by.
Salom makes a pass. Can he block. Salom is coming. Salom does it!
#39 Luis Salom ESP KTM
The next Moto 3 race is in Germany at the Sachsenring in Saxony, Germany. The race is in less than two weeks.
The next Moto 3 race is in Germany, at the Sachsenring.
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