Sports

Marquez clinches Aragon GP

The Spaniard opens up 16-point lead over Andrea Dovizioso in title race with victory on Sunday

Afp September 24, 2017

repsol honda team 039 s spanish rider marc marquez celebrates on the podium winning the moto gp race of the moto grand prix of aragon at the motorland circuit in alcaniz on september 24 2017 photo afp

Repsol Honda Team's Spanish rider Marc Marquez celebrates on the podium winning the MOTO GP race of the Moto Grand Prix of Aragon at the Motorland circuit in Alcaniz on September 24, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

ALCAñIZ: Marc Marquez opened up a 16-point lead over Andrea Dovizioso with an impressive ride to claim his fifth win of the season at the Aragon MotoGP on Sunday.

Despite starting from fifth on the grid, Marquez stormed past Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales to win from Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa with Lorenzo in third.

Dovizioso started the day level with Marquez in the championship standings, but finished down in seventh to deal a severe blow to his title chances with just four races remaining.

Tricky Austria track stands between Marquez and title

Marquez showed his class by moving smoothly through the grid, eventually overtaking Lorenzo with eight laps to go for his third MotoGP win in Aragon and fourth overall after winning in Moto2 back in 2011.

"It was a really difficult race," said Marquez. "From the beginning I didn't have the feelings like in the warm-up where it was a little bit smoother. I tried to get back the feeling but even in the last part of the race the feeling was not the best one.”

He added: “Anyway I was able to open up a small advantage. It tested me more than the other years here but in front of the fans, (it) was amazing!"

Rossi eyes early return from injury

Pedrosa completed a perfect day for Honda as he stormed through second half of the race after a slow start to blow past Rossi, Vinales and Lorenzo in the latter stages.

But he left his challenge too late to catch his teammate out front.

"Unfortunately I did too many laps behind Maverick and I lose a little bit of the gap at the beginning," said Pedrosa. "Later we both improved the pace and when I got passed him I could really catch the front group, but Marc was in the lead already and could play with the gap."

Rossi fought manfully on his return just three weeks after a double leg fracture.

The wounded nine-time champion battled for the lead early in the race but understandably faded to finish back in fifth.

Rossi, though, slips 56 points behind Marquez as his hopes of 10th world title begin to fade.