Moto2: Elias hunts down Iannone for German win
Toni Elias has become the first ever triple Moto2 race winner after hunting down Andrea Iannone during an eleventh-to-first charge at the Sachsenring on Sunday.
On pole for the third race in a row, Iannone tucked in behind Fimmco Speedup team-mate Gabor Talmacsi on lap one, took the lead on lap two and looked set to claim his third race win.
But title leader Elias, who had finished the first lap in eleventh, put in a determined ride - aided by accidents for Julian Simon and Alex Debon ahead of him - to reach third place by the halfway mark.
Elias and JiR's Simone Corsi, just behind him, then proved to be the quickest riders on track and had both blasted past Talmacsi with ten laps to go, with Iannone and the race lead just 2.4sec ahead.
Corsi then crashed out of third ending his hopes for a third podium of the season, and leaving a straight Iannone/Elias victory fight.
Elias was within striking distance of the green machine with six laps to go, and took the very first opportunity to pass, diving inside Iannone at turn one.
Iannone attempted to retaliate at the bottom of the hill, but Elias simply had more speed and was able to gain comfortable breathing room in the closing stages.
The Moriwaki Gresini rider began round eight with a 17 point lead over Thomas Luthi, but the Swiss star fell from his Interwetten Moriwaki after tagging the back of Anthony West.
Elias, who previously took back-to-back wins in rounds two and three, is now 42 points clear of Luthi in the championship standings, with Iannone 46 points from Elias in third.
Corsi's accident should have handed Talmacsi his first Moto2 podium, but the former 125ccc world champion was caught by a pack of riders - led by fellow grand prix winners Roby Rolfo and Fonsi Nieto - with three laps to go.
Talmacsi provided little opposition and dropped to sixth by the chequered flag, while Italtrans (Suter) rider Rolfo claimed his first Moto2 podium by 0.2sec from Nieto's Holidaygym Moriwaki.
A notable performance came from Australian Damian Cudlin, who claimed seventh place on his Moto2 debut as a stand-in rider for the Pons Kalex team.
Catalunya winner Yuki Takahashi crashed early in the race, with Tech 3 team-mate Raffaele de Rosa one of five riders towards the back of the field to fall at turn one.
The next round will be held at Brno on August 15.
Race results - Germany:
1. Elias (Moriwaki) 29 laps
2. Iannone (Speed Up) +3.297s
3. Rolfo (Suter) +6.574s
4. Nieto (Moriwaki) +6.781s
5. Abraham (FTR) +7.396s
6. Talmacsi (Speed Up) +9.555s
7. Cudlin (Pons Kalex) +9.697s
8. Aegerter (Suter) +11.373s
9. Bradl (Suter) +13.152s
10. Hernandez (BQR) +13.726s
Redding (Suter) DNF
