125cc: Pesek scores maiden win

Pesek ran in the lead group throughout the race but took the lead for the first time with less than two laps remaining, only temporarily relinquishing it on his way to his first victory.

"It's very special because it's the first time that I win a world championship race," said Pesek after the race. "It's a really beautiful moment for me, for my father, for my friends and of course for the Czech Republic because it's something special."

Less than a second covered the top four riders, with Hector Faubel and Esteve Rabat completing the podium just ahead of Gabor Talmacsi, who lost the championship lead following today's race, falling two points behind winner Pesek with Faubel two points behind Talmacsi.

Polesitter Mattia Pasini, who led early in the race, faded in the closing stages to finish tenth, but remarkably was less than 3.5 seconds behind Pesek at the chequered flag.

Pasini led from pole at the start, opening up a small gap before a group of four riders comprising Simone Corsi, Talmacsi, Faubel and Pesek reeled him back in by the end of lap three.

The lead group battled but despite being slipstreamed down the long straight, Pasini won the battle under brakes into the hairpin lap after lap, the lead group soon up to seven as Raffaele de Rosa and Tomoyoshi Koyama joined them.

At the start of lap nine Talmacsi took the lead and opened a small gap before the group reeled him back in, with teammate Faubel taking the lead two laps later.

As they began lap twelve Pasini returned to the lead in a move from fourth to first, the lead group now up to nine as Sergio Gadea and Esteve Rabat joined in. Before the lap was over, Faubel moved back in front, though Pasini was back in the lead as lap thirteen began.

Over the next couple of laps Rabat and Gadea, who were last to join the lead group, moved through the pack, Rabat taking the lead as they began lap 15, Gadea doing the same two laps later as they closed in on the finish of the 19-lap race.

With two laps remaining, Pesek and Rabat moved ahead of Gadea, Pesek trying to make a break on lap eighteen but unable to do so as Rabat retook the lead into the hairpin after slipstreaming Pesek down the long back straight.

However, Pesek got a better exit and retook the lead, Faubel taking second from Rabat as they began the final lap. Meanwhile Pesek began to open the gap at the front and went on to take the win ahead of Faubel and Rabat.

Pos  Rider               Make      Time
 1.  Lukas Pesek         Derbi     42:25.923
 2.  Hector Faubel       Aprilia   +   0.187
 3.  Esteve Rabat        Honda     +   0.481
 4.  Gabor Talmacsi      Aprilia   +   0.782
 5.  Simone Corsi        Aprilia   +   1.140
 6.  Sergio Gadea        Aprilia   +   1.191
 7.  Michael Ranseder    Derbi     +   2.375
 8.  Bradley Smith       Honda     +   2.400
 9.  Pol Espargaro       Aprilia   +   2.717
10.  Mattia Pasini       Aprilia   +   3.423
11.  Andrea Iannone      Aprilia   +   8.360
12.  Raffaele de Rosa    Aprilia   +   8.640
13.  Alexis Masbou       Honda     +  12.680
14.  Mike di Meglio      Honda     +  16.671
15.  Lorenzo Zanetti     Aprilia   +  16.777
16.  Pablo Nieto         Aprilia   +  24.444
17.  Simone Grotzkyj     Aprilia   +  27.337
18.  Sandro Cortese      Aprilia   +  32.924
19.  Joan Olive          Aprilia   +  35.029
20.  Roberto Tamburini   Aprilia   +  36.883
21.  Dominique Aegerter  Aprilia   +  46.084
22.  Joey Litjens        Honda     +  46.456
23.  Daniel Webb         Honda     +  48.131
24.  Dino Lombardi       Honda     +1:08.983
25.  Hugo van den Berg   Aprilia   +1:09.714
26.  Robert Muresan      Derbi     +1:50.417
27.  Randy Krummenache   KTM       +   1 lap

Did not finish:

     Tomoyoshi Koyama    KTM
     Federico Sandi      Aprilia
     Stefano Bianco      Aprilia
     Nicolas Terol       Derbi
     Steve Bonsey        KTM