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Moto2: Bautista takes controversial win

Alvaro Bautista took his first 250cc victory by beating teammate Alex de Angelis in a photo-finish at Mugello - but only after tangling with Jorge Lorenzo on the final lap of the race

Reigning champion Lorenzo had charged from 20th on the grid to lead in the closing stages, but de Angelis slipped ahead into San Donato as they began the last lap.

Three corners later Bautista dived inside Lorenzo and made contact, sending the points leader into the gravel, where he fell from the bike before rejoining to take eighth.

Bautista escaped the incident without delay and closed in on his Master-MVA Aspar teammate de Angelis before pulling out of the draft as they accelerated out of Bucine for the last time and taking the flag 0.087 seconds ahead.

Thomas Luthi had led off the line, but Bautista took the lead halfway around the lap and stayed ahead for most of the first half of the race.

Meanwhile Lorenzo moved from 20th to ninth on the first lap, then broke into the top five a lap later - despite hitting Mika Kallio when the KTM faltered exiting the final corner.

Lorenzo then hung back in fifth for several laps as Hector Barbera passed de Angelis and began battling Bautista for the lead - the duo swapping places several times before Lorenzo joined in on lap 12.

Barbera was able to retake the lead from the champion, but then ran wide as Materassi and fell to fifth, ending his challenge for victory.

That left Lorenzo and the Aspar pair to fight for the win, with Lorenzo passing both in a single move on the pits straight on lap 18 and then leading until lap 20, when de Angelis slipped back ahead.

Bautista's attempt to follow him through left Lorenzo livid, but the 125cc champion was undaunted as he celebrated his first win.

"I passed Jorge, we touched, but I think it's a normal pass on the last lap," said Bautista.

Barbera overcame Andrea Dovizioso - who had challenged Bautista for the lead early on - to take third, with Luthi falling back to fifth and holding off Shuhei Aoyama and Julian Simon.

Further back, Roberto Locatelli drew applause from the pit lane as he came home 18th in the first race back since his horrendous Jerez accident. The Italian had been on course for a point in 15th place in the middle of the race before slipping back.

Despite Lorenzo's incident with Bautista, he still leads the championship having won four of the six races held so far this season.

Pos  Rider             Bike     Time
 1.  Alvaro Bautista   Aprilia  40:26.356
 2.  Alex de Angelis   Aprilia  +   0.087
 3.  Hector Barbera    Aprilia  +   7.665
 4.  Andrea Dovizioso  Honda    +   7.751
 5.  Thomas Luthi      Aprilia  +  27.267
 6.  Shuhei Aoyama     Honda    +  27.522
 7.  Julian Simon      Honda    +  27.774
 8.  Jorge Lorenzo     Aprilia  +  32.238
 9.  Marco Simoncelli  Gilera   +  51.455
10.  Anthony West      Aprilia  +1:04.308
11.  Yuki Takahashi    Honda    +1:04.318
12.  Aleix Espargaro   Aprilia  +1:04.462
13.  Fabrizio Lai      Aprilia  +1:04.556
14.  Alex Baldolini    Aprilia  +1:04.570
15.  Taro Sekiguchi    Aprilia  +1:05.162
16.  Karel Abraham     Aprilia  +1:10.583
17.  Dirk Heidolf      Aprilia  +1:10.587
18.  R.Locatelli       Gilera   +1:20.650
19.  Jules Cluzel      Aprilia  +1:20.921
20.  Eugene Laverty    Honda    +1:21.282
21.  Hiroshi Aoyama    KTM      +1:46.776
22.  Imre Toth         Aprilia  +1:54.965
23.  Arturo Tizon      Aprilia  +   1 lap
24.  Thomas Tallevi    Yamaha   +   1 lap

Not classified/retirements:

     Omar Menghi       Aprilia  19
     Mika Kallio       KTM      2
     R.Wilairot        Honda    0

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