Moto2: Marquez powers to Mugello victory
Reigning 125cc world champion Marc Marquez took his third Moto2 race victory of the season by just 0.071sec over world championship leader Stefan Bradl in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.
Marquez led most of the race, but was always under pressure from several riders.
Fellow 125cc rookie Bradley Smith and Alex de Angelis provided the early opposition, while Bradl worked his way forwards from seventh on the grid.
The German soon got stuck in to the chasing pack and took the lead from Marquez on lap 17 of 21. But Marquez was soon back in front, with Tech 3 star Smith sandwiched between the two championship leaders as the last lap began.
Bradl was able to remove the young Briton from second, and was locked to the rear wheel of Marquez's Suter as the rounded the final turn. But Marquez got a perfect exit and, even in the slipstream, Bradl wasn't able to slingshot past.
Smith, on the podium at the previous two wet races, produced easily his best dry weather ride of the year to finish just 0.419sec from victory in third.
de Angelis dropped back in the closing stages, but fourth (two seconds from Marquez) matched his best of the season on the JiR MotoBI.
Last year's runaway home winner Andrea Iannone charged from 14th on the grid to catch the leading quartet just after the halfway stage, but the Speedmaster Suter rider was ultimately forced to settle for fifth at the flag.
Bradl, winner of four races this year, now has a slightly reduced 52-point lead over Marquez in the championship, heading into his home round at the Sachsenring.
Race results - Mugello:
1. Marquez (Suter) 21 laps
2. Bradl (Kalex) +0.071s
3. Smith (Tech 3) +0.419s
4. de Angelis (MotoBI) +2.091s
5. Iannone (Suter) +4.595s
6. Luthi (Suter) +13.021s
7. Corsi (FTR) +13.092s
8. Neukirchner (MZ) +13.409s
9. A. Espargaro (Pons Kalex) +14.139s
10. Sofuoglu (Suter) +14.419s
27. Redding (Suter) +46.731s
