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And that's a wrap for us today, following another customary MotoGP classic at Losail.
The pre-race favourite won last year, just about, and the pre-race favourite won today, just about. The rest of 2017 didn't work out so well for Vinales, but there's every reason to believe it won't go the same way for Dovizioso.
But Marquez looks oh-so-strong. And you get the feeling his rivals could be in for a rude awakening once some of his stronger tracks start coming up.
Goodbye for now.
The pre-race favourite won last year, just about, and the pre-race favourite won today, just about. The rest of 2017 didn't work out so well for Vinales, but there's every reason to believe it won't go the same way for Dovizioso.
But Marquez looks oh-so-strong. And you get the feeling his rivals could be in for a rude awakening once some of his stronger tracks start coming up.
Goodbye for now.
Quote
Dovizioso: "It was a perfect race, perfect weekend. We work very well, do everything in a perfect way. Like I expect, there was a lot of fast riders in the race, but we managed in a perfect way.
"I had a really bad start, but was calm, I recover very slowly and save a lot of tyres. And was able to push at the end, but at the end the tyre was finished, like everybody. So it was very difficult, like always with Marc it's very difficult in the last lap, but I was able to beat him again.
"I'm so happy, and we had to win in this track after three second positions. Thank you to the team, we worked very well during the winter test, that is very important."
"I had a really bad start, but was calm, I recover very slowly and save a lot of tyres. And was able to push at the end, but at the end the tyre was finished, like everybody. So it was very difficult, like always with Marc it's very difficult in the last lap, but I was able to beat him again.
"I'm so happy, and we had to win in this track after three second positions. Thank you to the team, we worked very well during the winter test, that is very important."
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Quote
Marquez: "Show go on, all in. I try to push my 100 percent, I knew before the race here maybe is one of the most difficult tracks for me, but even like that I try, and when Dovi was pushing, I was limit, extra limit, and closing the front, losing the rear.
"Anyway I arrive close in the last corner, I try, even like this I thought Dovi would overtake me before the finish line with the slipstream. But anyway I try.
"Some day I will do [it] - but again he beat me. But very happy, because podium here was the main target. Second place, we lost only five points - really happy."
"Anyway I arrive close in the last corner, I try, even like this I thought Dovi would overtake me before the finish line with the slipstream. But anyway I try.
"Some day I will do [it] - but again he beat me. But very happy, because podium here was the main target. Second place, we lost only five points - really happy."
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Quote
Rossi: "I'm so happy. But I expect more compared to last year, because with the bike of this year I feel good.
"I know that Marquez and Dovizioso are the faster at this moment, they have a little bit more - so when Dovi go in front, I try to give 120 percent to stay with them, because I need to go from the second group to stand the podium.
"I'm so happy, I enjoy a lot, thanks to my team, thanks to Yamaha, and now we try to continue like this."
"I know that Marquez and Dovizioso are the faster at this moment, they have a little bit more - so when Dovi go in front, I try to give 120 percent to stay with them, because I need to go from the second group to stand the podium.
"I'm so happy, I enjoy a lot, thanks to my team, thanks to Yamaha, and now we try to continue like this."
Information
This is Andrea Dovizioso's ninth MotoGP win. Eight of those have come in the past 21 races.
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Well overdue for Andrea Dovizioso, this, after three consecutive years of finishing runner-up here. But Marquez's remarkable effort, at a track he and Honda should not be all that good at, is ominous.
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Information
Finishing order: 1 Dovizioso; 2 Marquez; 3 Rossi; 4 Crutchlow; 5 Petrucci; 6 Vinales; 7 Pedrosa; 8 Zarco; 9 Iannone; 10 Miller; 11 Rabat; 12 Morbidelli, 13 Bautista; 14 Syahrin; 15 Abraham; 16 Luthi; 17 Nakagami; 18 Smith; 19 A Espargaro; 20 Redding; 21 Simeon.
Crash
Something happened to Aleix Espargaro on the final lap, leaving Aprilia with no points to show for today. KTM's in the same boat.
Rossi completes the podium, ahead of Crutchlow, Petrucci, Vinales.
We've seen almost this exact same finish last year - more than once, too.
Checkered flag
But he goes wide, Dovizioso is on the power earlier and the Italian wins the race to the finish line!
Marquez follows Dovizioso close at Turn 15 - and dives down the inside at the final corner!
Dovizioso is hitting his marks so very well. Marquez is closer, but he's not close enough - yet.
Final lap. Marquez needs to find two tenths, make a move stick - and preferably clear out before the final straight. Tall order.
Zarco has slipped to eighth behind Vinales and Pedrosa. His pace has gone off a cliff, but he won't lose any more positions.
Marquez still has Dovizioso right in his sights, but he has not looked close to making a move.
Two laps to go. Petrucci passes Zarco for fifth, Vinales pounces on Pedrosa for seventh.
There's still not much at all between Marquez and Dovizioso - and Rossi is there to pick up the pieces if something happens.
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Stopwatch
Fastest lap of the race, Andrea Dovizioso, 1m55.242s. Zarco, now passed by Crutchlow for fourth, was really holding everyone back.
Rossi is still keeping in touch with Dovizioso and Marquez, but Zarco's pace has gone off. It'll be hard work for him to even keep fourth.
Four laps to go. Dovizioso leads Marquez, and they seem to be breaking away. Familiar sight.
Rossi's passed Zarco as well. In just over a sector, the Frenchman has dropped from first to off the podium.
Well, well, well. Dovizioso finds something extra to stick Zarco out of the final corner, and storms past. Marquez brakes super late at Turn 1 and goes past the Frenchman as well.
Crash
Pol Espargaro pits his KTM.
Vinales is the quickest rider on track, by a few tenths. If he had been closer to the leading group at the start, he would have been a factor now.
Zarco has not broken away but he has looked remarkably in control. He's reliably carried a buffer of several tenths each time out of the final corner, and has been in no danger from Ducati's top speed.
Seven laps to go. Vinales passes Iannone on the main straight for eighth, Iannone then loses more time somewhere to drop behind Miller.
Ducati's sublime straightline speed strikes again, as Dovizioso re-passes Marquez for second ahead of Turn 1.
Any of the top seven could still plausibly win this.
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Information
Current order: 1 Zarco; 2 Marquez; 3 Dovizioso; 4 Rossi; 5 Crutchlow; 6 Petrucci; 7 Pedrosa; 8 Iannone; 9 Vinales; 10 Miller; 11 Morbidelli; 12 A Espargaro; 13 Rabat; 14 Syahrin; 15 P Espargaro; 16 Bautista; 17 Abraham; 18 Smith; 19 Luthi; 20 Nakagami; 21 Redding; 22 Simeon.
Marquez is not interested in allowing a Zarco breakaway, and overtakes Dovizioso for second with a lunge down the inside.
Crash
And Jorge Lorenzo is down as well, Turn 5.
Crash
Alex Rins tucks the front and crashes out! Screams in the Suzuki garage.
Ten laps to go, and Zarco appears to be breaking away Dovizioso!
By: Matt Beer
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