The championship battle is one point apart. The Yamaha team mates, (Valentino Rossi, and Jorge Lorenzo), are in a title fight. Will Lorenzo make it five wins in a row here at The Cathedral of Speed, in Assen, Holland? This is the northernmost venue on the championship calendar. It is the only race run on a Saturday due to noise restrictions. In Spain, Lorenzo got the whole shot. Cal Crutchlow battled with Aleix Espargaro, but crashed. Marc Marquez, crashed out.
Valentino Rossi charged from eighth place. Dani Pedrosa made it to third past the Suzuki. Aleix Espargaro wrecked. Valentino Rossi tried his best to catch Lorenzo. But, Lorenzo won the race. The Yamaha team mates have very different routes to this race. Lorenzo has won four races in a row. Rossi, has to come up through the field.
Assen is the only race held on Saturday. They cannot race on Sunday, because there was a church on the grounds of the circuit. But, after today's race, will end. In qualifying, Yamaha did well. Honda and Marc Marquez, reverted to last year's Honda chassis. Dani Pedrosa crashed. He has a contusion on his left hand, but he'll race. Crashes happen with riders finding the limits. They don't look serious, but, at the speed, they are big.
It is important to be physically fit. But, also you have to have mental strength. Riders don't feel the pain after they wreck, in the race. But they feel pain, the days after the races. Concussions are the serious part, if they happen. Riders trust the doctors and they know they are there to help. No pain, no gain. We are ready to get this race started, at Assen. Races have been held here every years since 1949, and used to be held on the public roads. This is a 2.8 mile, fast, flowing track.
Assen is a favorite track. It's slow and fast. Slow through the corners, and fast on the straights. Keep the momentum. Move your body weight, through the corners. You can wheelie in some of these corners, depending on the gear ratios in your motorcycle. Lots of great battles have been run here even in the last decade or so. Awesome stuff. In final qualifying, wet weather did not materialize.
Lap records, were smashed. In qualifying, Valentino Rossi got his first pole. Aleix Espargaro is next, on the Suzuki. He passed through Q1 and moved to Q2. Marc Marquez is third, which is a good spot. Dani Pedrosa is just behind. Jorge Lorenzo is eighth. Valentino Rossi has won here before. Keys to victory are, have the right chassis. The weather can change, and rain can come as fast as you can say double Dutch. Stay alert. This race is going to be a hot one. 21 corners, on a historic track.
This is going to be quite the race. The time for butterflies, is over. We're going racing at The Cathedral of Speed, right now! They are on the warmup lap. 26 laps scheduled for this race. You can cut the tension, with a knife. Let's go for it. This is the last race after 85 years, on a Saturday, at Assen. Next year, it will be on a Sunday. Here we go. Marquez, Espargaro, Rossi.
Go! At the start, Rossi gets away well. Rossi leads from Aleix Espargaro and Marc Marquez. Rossi got the start he wanted. Coming up to the Struben corner, here's Marquez, into second. Rossi leads. Pol and Aleix Espargaro battle. Lorenzo is charging. Lorenzo is pushing hard already on lap one. Andrea Dovizioso is not in the top six. Rossi leads the Dutch Grand Prix. Oh! Jack Miller has crashed, and so has one of the Avintia Ducati's.
Valentino Rossi leads, after a hole shot. Marquez second. Lorenzo, third. Hector Barbera and Jack Miller were the two crashers. Rossi wants his ninth Assen victory. Marquz, Lorenzo, and Pol Espargaro are all in a batle. Lorenzo sets fast lap at 1:33.910. Rossi continues to lead this race. Andrea Ianonne and the Espargaro brothers, battle for position, as we watch Jack Miller's roll through the gravel. Hector Barbera may be hurt just a bit.
Where's Dani Pedrosa? Not sure. He's fallen to twelfth actually, and has Danilo Petrucci and Maverick Vinales down there. Andrea Ianonne is breaking away from fifth. Rossi resets the lap record at 1:33.739. Danilo Petrucci completes the top ten in this race. Rossi, Marquez, and Lorenzo, are the top three. There's a long way to go yet. Marc Marquez is closing on Valentino Rossi. Marquez has wrecked in the last two races. But this time, he's going for it.
He is piling the pressure on. Marquez runs a 1:33.617. In Mugello and Barcelona, Marquez wrecked, both times. All these corners have names. But, they are not listed on the track maps, necessarily. Marquez has the medium option front tire. Everyone else, has soft tires. They've started the fifth lap of this race. Bradley Smith makes a pass. There's a big race for fifth spot. Dani Pedrosa disposes of Maverick Vinales. Bradley Smith and Cal Crutchlow battle. Now, we watch Rossi defending from Marquez.
Will Marquez look up the inside? No. Rossi runs 1:33.863. Jorge Lorenzo is down to a 1:34.2. Marc Marquez is running well. Stefan Bradl has crashed. Game over. He's OK. He will wait for his home race... the German Grand Prix, at the Sachsenring, the next event on the schedule. The medium front tire gives you more braking stability. Don't use up the soft tire, because it will affect the end of the race. Rossi is not giving Marquez an inch into the chicane as we start lap eight. Rossi and Lorenzo are a second and a half apart.
Andrea Dovizioso closes on Pol Espargaro. Hector Barbera has gone to the medical center in some pain after his wreck. Cal Crutchlow has passed Andrea Dovizioso, for seventh spot. Lorenzo is losing time to Rossi. Rossi wants his third race win this year. He is under pressure from Marc Marquez. Will Marquez make a move? You know he will. He can bide his time, and pounce. Rossi is pulling out an advantage.
Marquez can close the gap under braking. The last time we saw a battle like this, was last September in Italy at Misano. Andrea Ianonne, and the Espargaro brothers battle along with several othr riders. Eight riders are split by two seconds. Rossi is able to stretch an advantage out on Marquez. But, Marquez is still going for it with sixteen laps remaining. We are mid-race. The battle for fifth is hot. But the lead battle, is even hotter. Dani Pedrosa passes Bradley Smith. He's finding form after the crash in the warmup.
Rossi still leads. Marc Marquez is the only rider who has matched Rossi's pace here in the Dutch TT. Smith has passed Pedrosa. Many riders are holding Pedrosa up. He's faster than anyone in this group based on lap time. Now, Marc Marquez is really pushing Valentino Rossi. But he's laying back a little bit. How much do these blokes have left in the locker? Thirteen laps to go now. This is a straight fight. Jorge Lorenzo will have to settle for third after four straight wins. Marquez has yet to make his move.
Marc Marquez has been riding faultlessly and is not on the ragged edge. Both of these guys are racing cleanly. Stefan Bradl has been taken to the medical center, with pain in the right wrist. Twelve laps remain now. The lower half of the top ten is all battling for sixth spot. Cal Crutchlow is right behind Andrea Dovizioso. Andrea Ianonne is fourth and is two seconds clear of that battle. We watch Rossi through the faster corners in the middle of the Assen track.
This is the 85th Dutch TT. The race has a great history. Crutchlow brakes late, and dives up the inside of Andrea Dovizioso. These two were team mates, years ago for Tech 3 Yamaha, and also, for Ducati. But, not anymore. Marquez can't quite get close enough to Rossi at the chicane. Rossi defends the inside line. 1:33.819 from Rossi. 1:33.665 from Marquez. Jorge Lorenzo is about a second behind, but he's actually running consistent laps.
This is the battle of the champions. Marquez tries to sneak into the lead, and he almost gets it. Marquez is in full attack mode. He has to bide his time. Braking into the chicane, there's no gap for Marquez to go through. Game over for Eugene Laverty. He's crashed. He's won World Supersport and World Superbike races, at Assen before. At some point, Marquez is going to have to go for it. Marquez just isn't quite close enough.
Marquez is on a hybrid bike. The engine and swing arm are 2015 spec. The frame, is 2014 spec. We've still got this massive battle between Dovizioso, Espargaro, and many others, going on. Marc Marquez has made the decisive pass on Rossi, with seven laps left, into turn one. They've upped the pace. Out of the last chicane, Rossi ran onto the astro turf. Marc Marquez is ahead by seven bike lengths. The race isn't over yet.
Rossi is turning up the heat. Onboard cameras started on motorcycles, here at Assen, 30 years ago, with Randy Mammola, and Freddie Spencer. Rossi is fast through the middle section. Marquez has an advantage right now with only five laps left. These two are a tenth apart. Cal Crutchlow leads the big group from fourth to tenth. It's been quite the duel here in Assen. Rossi is flying right now, with four laps to go. Rossi lines up Marquez but cannot make it work.
Last year, Honda had an advantage. Yamaha worked on grip during the off season. So, Rossi, still has a chance. Rossi tries to close up. Marquez still leads. Rossi closes up on Marquez. Rossi is ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. But, he wants to beat Marquez in a fair, head to head, fight. Rossi wanted to go up the inside, but thought better of it. Three laps remain now. This has been a monstrous battle. Marquez and Rossi, mano e mano.
Rossi has gone up the inside! Rossi leads with Marquez trying to come back. The fans go nuts! Rossi brakes late, and Marquez is still going for it. But, Rossi has three tenths on Marquez. He wants the third win of his career at Assen. Rossi puts half a second between him and Marquez. Rossi wants an eighth win at The Cathedral. This has been a classic race. Valentino Rossi is ahead, as we are into the last turn on the penultimate lap. One lap to go. This is it. Rossi sets his personal best lap.
Jorge Lorenzo will have to settle for third. Rossi is moving away. The nine time world champion wants his ninth Assen win. He's really gotten the better of Marquez, but Marquez won't quit. He's very close. It's all about the last turn. Rossi still has it. Has Marquez got anything? Yes. No. Rossi is the winner! Holy cow!
#46 Valentino Rossi ITA. Yamaha
Holy mackerel! What a finish! You knew Marquez wanted to lunge up the inside. Wow, that was close! The last Saturday Assen TT was amazing. Rossi gets his first win from pole, since San Marino in 2009. Rossi has proved, why fans love him. He extends his points lead over his team mate Jorge Lorenzo, too. What a race! The famous 46, has won.
The next race on the calendar, is in Germany, at the Sachsenring, in Saxony, Germany, coming up in two weeks time.
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