Moto2 Emilia Romagna: Bastianini wins shortened race
Enea Bastianini took advantage on the restart with a breakaway at the in the Moto2 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Having originally hit the front when the rain arrived, Bestianini started from pole when the grid reformed. Leading on the Italtrans Kalex by over a second, his soft tyre choice became difficult to manage allowing fellow Italian Marco Bezzecchi to reel him back in.
The gap he had made proved just too much for the Sky Racing VR46 team rider, who lacked a bit of confidence after both he and Luca Marini crashed in warm-up. Bezzecchi was second by 0.720s at the line.
Third went to Sam Lowes, who picked up the position when an unlucky Xavi Vierge was hit by Marcel Schrotter taking the Petronas rider out of the race.
The number 22 had to fight hard to be in contention, taking on Jake Dixon and then Marini as the British rider was involved in battle after battle on his EG 0,0 Marc VDS machine.
Original polesitter Marini was fourth, retaining his title lead - though it is now cut to just five points, with Schrotter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) dropping to fifth.
Jake Dixon had been running well before the red flag, he was as high as third, and kept his momentum going in the shortened race. He took Jorge Navarro over in the run to the line for sixth on his Petronas Sprinta bike, his best race finish so far in the class.
Navarro took the chequered flag seventh as the top Speed Up rider, with his Beta Tools teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio just behind in eighth.
There were big duels down the pack to finish inside the top ten, with Tom Luthi rallying to take ninth in the second Intact GP entry. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini) finished tenth but both he and Tetsuta Nagashima were handed a post race penalty for exceeding track limits on the final lap of a one place demotion.
His position was inherited by top rookie Hector Garzo for Flexbox HP 40.
Simone Corsi finished twelfth for MV Agusta - his best result so far this season.
Aron Canet spent most of the race tussling with Garzo for top rookie honours before dropping to 13th for Inde Aspar.
The remaining points places were filled by Lorenzo Dalla Porta in 14th for Italtrans ahead of Stefano Manzi, putting both Forward MV Agusta bikes inside the top 15.
Mattia Pasini, back in the paddock to fill the seat of the absent Jorge Martin following his positive Covid-19 test, just missed out in 16th for Red Bull KTM Ajo.
Before the red flag Joe Roberts and Kazma Daniel had both crashed out. Roberts was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his nasty highside.
Debutant Piotr Biesiekirski replaced Jesko Raffin at NTS RW Racing GP. Unfortunately he crashed late in the race.
Remy Gardner was absent following his huge warm-up crash last weekend.
