MotoGP riders race many of the great tracks in the world. But, today, they will be racing Le Mans, which is the most legendary track on the schedule. This is sacred ground for any racer, and we are ready for a good one. For the 28th time, MotoGP will race here. Dani Pedrosa, is back, racing. The bikes, tires, and electronics, are always changing for the better. But, the riding styles have changed over the years. Cal Crutchlow can explain. The bikes are very demanding. The different bikes are all set up in a different manner. A Honda, is harder to ride than a Yamaha.
Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo have put their elbow down. But not as much as Marc Marquez does. To each your own. Each rider has their own way of riding. Marquez has a very unique technique, but, other riders hav started copying him. Putting your elbow on the floor, is a big risk. The bike could feel like it's out of control, but you are in control. The margins, are really tight. This track (the Bugatti circuit), is 50 years old, built in 1965. Now, for the headlines. Dani Pedrosa is back from arm pump surgery. Andrea Ianonne dislocated a shoulder in a couple crashes. Aleix Espargaro had a couple wrecks.
Bridgestone has soft and extra soft compounds, because of the smooth track at Le Mans. However, we have two compounds of wet tires, too. If it should rain, there are temperature issues with the wet tires. If it's damp, the riders will decide what they want to do. Riders will stick to slicks until it really gets wet. When the rains are heavier, you switch to wets. If it's damp sans the satanding water, the slick tire has to maintain temperature, without dispersing water. If the rain becomes so heavy, they can't keep tire temperature, they'll switch tires.
The Bridgestone wet tires operate at a lower temperature. 160 degrees Fahrenheit for a wet. 220 degrees Fahrenheit for a slick. But, it's sunny today, so we won't see any rain, as we get ready to race. Pick a bike... any bike. The Bugatti circuit is 2.6 miles with 14 turns. It's a stop and go circuit with 14 corners. You need handling and grip. Turn four is a good passing opportunity. Brake into second gear into turn five and accelerate to turn seven. Hop the curb, and use a wide exit.
Then, up to fourth gear at 250 kilometers an hour into turn eight. Let it drift wide, and allow room for passing onto the back straight. Run light here. Then, out of ten and into eleven, you have a double apex corner. Don't run wide. Turn twelve, and through thirteen and fourteen into first and second gear, the line is difficult. Turn one, is THE corner on the track. In qualifying, there was a threat of rain. Jorge Lorenzo did not have the qualifying 4 he wanted. Marc Marquez went 1:32.246.
Andrea Dovizioso wants a podium. But, Jorge Lorenzo is in really good form. Cal Crutchlow, Andrea Ianonne, and Bradley Smith, are on row two. Aleix Espargaro had a good run despite a big crash. Can Dani Pedrosa do well on his return after arm pump? We'll find out. Marc Marquez has his 25th pole in 41 starts. Effective braking is key. Carry speed in slow corners. Hard acceleration off the corner needs to get you up to speed. Also, traction. Balance between braking and acceleration.
You are up to speed. 28 laps coming up, and we're ready for the lights to go out, and the race to begin.
The bikes are on their way around this track. We have 93,000 fans here for the race. Valentino Rossi is points leader right now. How will points shake out at the end of this Grand Prix? We'll see. We're ready for a start in round five of MotoGP. 28 laps scheduled. Go! Great start from Andrea Dovizioso and Marc Marquez. Valentino Rossi is coming, and here comes Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez fourth, Rossi fifth. It's like a Moto 3 race into La Chapelle. Dani Pedrosa moves past Cal Crutchlow.
Bradley Smith is sxith right now. Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Ianonne are going for it. We are ready to complete the first lap. Cal Crutchlow has sunk to eighth. Lorenzo leads Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Ianonne on the Ducati's. Dani Pedrosa has crashed! Oh no! Game over for Pedrosa. Pedrosa was worried about his right arm. Now, he's back on track. Stefan Bradl has also crashed out. Both are OK. Bradl's crash was in Museum corner, (turn six). Jorge Lorenzo leads. Aleix Espargaro is having issues with his Suzuki, and the pain, from his crash.
The clutch could be a problem. Mike Di Meglio has also wrecked. Rossi slides up inside Marc Marquez. Marquez can't fight it. Rossi up to fourth. He's going for it into the Chemain aux Boeuf esses. Bradl and Pedrosa are OK. With Aleix Espargaro, the clutch is out on his factory Suzuki GSXRR. Marc Marquez is slipping back. It's Valentino Rossi going forward, looking to race his team mate. Game over for Scott Redding. Suzuki is still investigating a mechanical issue on Aleix Espargaro's motorcycle.
Rossi sets fastest lap. Not sure of the time. Poor old Scott Redding, is out. He's OK. But, the wreck in La Chapelle, has destroyed the bike. Marc Marquez is sinking like a stone, running a 1:34 flat. He slides wide at Garage Vert, (green garage corner). Dani Pedrosa is back on the bike. He has to test his arm to see if it's working as he wants it to. Marc Marquez has passed Cal Crutchlow. Jorge Lorenzo is leading over Andra Dovizioso. Andrea Ianonne is going for it, on adrenaline. Keep in mind, he has pain, with a dislocated shoulder.
We're just five and a half laps into this race, folks. Cal Crutchlow has wrecked in La Chapelle, too. Jorge Lorenzo is dominating. It is Crutchlow, who crashed. Marc Marquez may have a braking issue. Can Ducati challenge Yamaha and Honda? It could happen now. The gap is 4/10ths of a second. 1:33.3 for three of four riders at the top. Andrea Dovizioso is quicker at 1:33.2. Marc Marquez is chasing Bradley Smith. He can't get close enough to the Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha. Back into the Chemain aux Boeuf esses.
Dani Pedrosa is back in the race with minimal damage to his bike. The riders sweep into La Chapelle. Through Museum corner, and back into Garage Vert. Can Andrea Ianonne get by Jorge Lorenzo through the Blue Esses? Ianonne is having a hard time between turns five and six. Lorenzo and Dovizioso are pulling away while Valentino Rossi is trying to pass the injured Andrea Ianonne. Rossi is lining him up, and he tries to go into the Blue Esses. Rossi goes for it, and the crowd goes crazy!
Jorge Lorenzo opens a one second lead over Andrea Dovizioso. Marc Marquez might be having issues with brake temperature. Normally, Honda has him use a carbon cover on the brake disc. He is not using it today. He's chasing after Bradley Smith right now, and he is not making inroads on Smith at all yet. Pol Espargaro, Yonny Hernandez, Jack Miller, Loris Baz, and others, are having good rides. Andrea Ianonne is fading. The shoulder has to be bugging him. Valentino Rossi needs to pass Andrea Dovizioso ASAP so he can get to Jorge Lorenzo.
Rossi is trying Dovizioso, but, no dice. The stop and go nature of Le Mans, is better for the Dcuati. But, Rossi is now into second, halfway through this race. It's a Yamaha 1-2. Rossi has passed both Andrea's. Jorge Lorenzo has a 1.8 second lead on Valentino Rossi. Can Rossi catch his team mate. Marc Marquez is slipping back. It's a Yamaha and Ducati battle. But, it could well be a scrap between both factory Yamaha's before this one is over, chaps.
Jack Miller is now out. He's fallen down, too. He is team mates to Cal Crutchlow. Not a good weekend for LCR Honda. Marc Marquez is also losing time to Bradley Smith. Bradley Smith has a two second advantage over Marc Marquez. Pol Espargaro is also back there. Nicky Hayden, Maverick Vinales, and Loris Baz, are all running well. Eugene Laverty looks like he'll pick up his first points of 2015. Marc Marquez just rides in sixth spot. Bradley Smith could be the top non-factory rider.
Andrea Ianonne is having huge issues, as Bradley Smith will now catch the Ducati. Ianonne runs a 1:36.6. He's having a hard time, due to his dislocated shoulder. Jorge Lorenzo is putting on another clinic today. Bradley Smith takes another second out of Andrea Ianonne. Smith is now being hounded by Marc Marquez. Marquez can gain with Ianonne fading. Yonny Hernandez is also up into the top ten, with Danilo Petrucci and Maverick Vinales, also up there. VInales takes tenth from Nicky Hayden.
Karel Abraham has retired his bike, and the riders who crashed, are OK. The gap between Lorenzo and Rossi is just over two seconds with nine laps left. It's Lorenzo's race to lose. Bradley Smith will pass Andrea Ianonne into Chemaine aux Boeuf's, through Garage Vert. Marc Marquez is still there. Poor old Andrea Ianonne. It hasn't been his race today. Marquez pushes. Smith has to pass, as Marquez is coming, and fast. Andrea Ianonne is not giving up, as they come back to the Chemaine aux Boeuf esses again.
Smith has to pass Ianonne. Ianonne won't surrender fourth without a fight. Seven laps left. Marqueiz is right on top of Bradley Smith. Marquez loses grip on the foot rest for his left foot, briefly through turn six. Lorenzo, Rossi, and Dovizioso, are still the top three. Jorge Lorenzo completes lap 22. Smith cannot pass Ianonne. Marquez can't get past either of his rivals. They are at the Dunlop esses. Marquez now goes past both, and Ianonne attacks Marquez. Holy smokes! He runs wide, and Marquez has passed into Museum corner.
Ianonne back to fourth, and here comes Marquez. These two have a hsitory. Moto 2, and last year in MotoGp, too. They're still pushing. What a battle with five laps left. Marquez slides through on the brakes into the Dunlop chicane,a nd AIanonne comes back. Wow! This is a m,onster battle indeed! Ianonne is fighting a two-time champion, and also, has his shoulder to contend with. These three blokes ran competitively in Moto 2, too. Marquez was all out of shape, and still holds on! Holy cow!
This is awesome! Into turn one, the Ducati is quicker than the Honda. Marquez is a demon into the corners. Bradley Smith will just watch, running his own race. Into Museum, with three laps to go. Into Garage Vert, Ianonne fends off Marquez. Jorge Lorenzo is on rails right now. Marquez stays in fourth, while we see Ianonne try to pass. Has Marquez broken Ianonne's resolve? Not yet. Into the Blue Esses, no dice. Has Marc Marquez had braking trouble through this race? Maverick Vinales moves into ninth ahead of Danilo Petrucci. Pol Espargaro has had a tough race, after fighting for the podium in this race a year ago.
Andrea Dovizioso will finish on the podium, in third. Lorenzo has now moved into second in the championship, as he looks to win this race. One lap to go now. Lorenzo is going to win two races in a row as we still see a battle steaming between Ianonne and Marquez. Ianonne can't make the move on Marquez. Ducati vs. Honda through La Chapelle. Bradley Smith is waiting this out. Jorge Lorenzo is going to get his second straight win.
Ianonne is even faster than Valentino Rossi in second. But, it's all smiles for JHorge Lorenzo, as he wins his 56th career MotoGP race, and his fifth at Le Mans! Marquez is going to hold off Ianonne!
#99 Jorge Lorenzo ESP. Yamaha
The next race is in Italy, at the Autodromo del Mugello in Mugello, Italy, in two weeks.
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