Moto2: Bradl scores another Moto2 victory
Stefan Bradl took a straightforward third Moto2 race win of the year at Catalunya, pulling away from the competition even before the lead pack was spread out by a dramatic crash
Bradl had spent the first half of the race dicing with fast-starter Julian Simon and Aleix Espargaro, before edging away and establising a few seconds' lead.
As Bradl got away, a big battle for second developed between Simon, Kenan Sofuoglu, Espargaro, Dominique Aegerter, Marc Marquez and Simone Corsi - the latter having flown from 15th on the grid to fourth on lap one.
On lap 16, Sofuoglu clipped the rear of Simon's bike, tipping the Spaniard into a massive accident and ending both their races. Simon was able to stand up in the gravel trap following the crash.
This incident spread the pack out, with Marquez coming through to follow up his Le Mans win with a second place at home despite having been as low as 10th early on.
Espargaro took his first podium at world championship level in third, just ahead of Corsi, Randy Krummenacher, Alex de Angelis, Esteve Rabat and Mika Kallio. Aegerter also crashed out of the podium battle, falling at Turn 5 just before the Sofuoglu/Simon clash.
Bradley Smith had a highly eventful race - dropping from a top 10 place to 18th when nearly taken out as Thomas Luthi crashed at Turn 3 and took Yuki Takahashi down with him. Smith fought back through to challenge Rabat for seventh on the last lap, only to run off the road and slip right back to 19th again.
Results - 23 laps: Pos Rider Team/Bike Time/Gap 1. Stefan Bradl Kiefer Kalex 41m38.888s 2. Marc Marquez Repsol Suter + 4.141s 3. Aleix Espargaro Pons Kalex + 8.409s 4. Simone Corsi Ioda FTR + 10.331s 5. Randy Krummenacher Kiefer Kalex + 11.661s 6. Alex de Angelis JIR Motobi + 12.383s 7. Esteve Rabat Blusens-STX FTR + 12.602s 8. Mika Kallio Marc VDS Suter + 13.467s 9. Yonny Hernandez Blusens-STX FTR + 16.612s 10. Max Neukirchner MZ + 16.735s 11. Scott Redding Marc VDS Suter + 17.031s 12. Michele Pirro Gresini Moriwaki + 18.460s 13. Alex Baldolini Forward Suter + 22.933s 14. Xavier Simeon Tech 3 + 23.416s 15. Andrea Iannone Speed Master Suter + 23.449s 16. Pol Espargaro Speed Up FTR + 24.070s 17. Claudio Corti Italtrans Suter + 24.111s 18. Carmelo Morales G22 Moriwaki + 25.351s 19. Bradley Smith Tech 3 + 29.249s 20. Valentin Debise Speed Up FTR + 35.077s 21. Santiago Hernandez SAG FTR + 41.666s 22. Anthony West MZ + 52.103s 23. Jules Cluzel Forward Suter + 1m02.492s 24. Kev Coghlan Castello FTR + 1m16.294s Retirements: Axel Pons Pons Kalex 18 laps Julian Simon Aspar Suter 15 laps Kenan Sofuoglu Technomag-CIP Suter 15 laps Dominique Aegerter Technomag-CIP Suter 15 laps Javier Fores Aspar Suter 11 laps Mattia Pasini Ioda FTR 7 laps Thomas Luthi Interwetten Suter 5 laps Yuki Takahashi Gresini Moriwaki 5 laps Mike Di Meglio Tech 3 5 laps Robertino Pietri Italtrans Suter 3 laps Mashel Al Naimi QMMF Moriwaki 2 laps Kenny Noyes Avintia-STX FTR 0 laps
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