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MotoGP
Márquez takes epic ninth win after pitlane start
Marc Márquez’s incredible MotoGP win streak continues at Sachsenring with ninth consecutive victory.
Marc Márquez has kept his incredible run of consecutive MotoGP wins in 2014 going after making it nine straight wins in the opening nine world championship races at Germany's Sachsenring circuit, beating team-mate Dani Pedrosa in a Repsol Honda 1–2.
The Honda pairing – both of whom had suffered big crashes early on in the weekend – finished less than two seconds apart after dominating the race, with the Yamaha pairing of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi coming in a distant third and fourth.
There was drama as the race got underway, with changeable conditions forcing 14 riders – including Márquez, Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Rossi – into the pits on the formation lap to change to their dry setup bikes.
That led to a bizarre scenario with riders jostling at the end of the pitlane to get the best possible position for what was effectively the second start of the race.
After qualifying in third, Stefan Bradl was the highest-placed rider to correctly choose to start on slicks, and could have been set for a popular home victory, as he led off the line with a 10 second head start over the riders who'd been forced into the pits.
But a combination of steel brakes, which force the rider to brake around 20 metres earlier than the carbon brake-shod bikes, and a cautious riding style meant that by lap six, Bradl's LCR Honda had been reeled in by Márquez and Pedrosa.
From then on, it was formation flying for the Repsol Honda boys, with Márquez taking the victory to become the first rider since the great Giacamo Agonstini in 1970 to win the first nine races of the season. He also claimed the record for the youngest ever winner of nine straight races to boot.
Going into MotoGP's mid-season break, Marc Márquez now leads Dani Pedrosa by 225 points to 148 in the championship standings, with the riders heading to Indianapolis on August 8-10.
The View from the Podium: The Race in Quotes
Marc Márquez:
This first half of the season for me is perfect, especially because I won every race and in qualifying I've stayed on the front row every time. I'm really happy with the job of the team too; they've helped me a lot, especially in the first races when I arrived without pre-season testing. The job is done, so now we can go for the summertime break with the mentality free.
Jorge Lorenzo on the pitlane start:
For me it was dangerous for a few reasons. The carbon disc is one reason, because for me I couldn't warm the disc. Also, you've got new tyres and especially the exit after the pitlane is very narrow. There were a lot of riders trying to overtake. So maybe it is better to get another type of regulation to avoid these kind of very dangerous moments.
Dani Pedrosa:
I had two crashes this weekend and the team did a good job repairing the bikes and getting ready for this kind of start today. We are able to ride better now and we have the Brno test this week, where we will try some things and try to find some extra speed and be ready for Indy. Of course it will be a tough week but we will rest a bit after the test.
Moto2: Triumph for Aegerter in Germany
Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter won out from Finn Mika Kallio by a margin of just 0.091s in a two-pronged fight for Moto2 glory in Germany. Simone Corsi, Esteve Rabat and Maverick Viñales rounded out the top five, but finished around 10 seconds adrift of the leading duo.
Moto3: Miller the man at the Sachsenring
Jack Miller extended his lead in the Moto3 championship after a thrilling race, holding off attacks from Álex Márquez and a late charge from South African rider Brad Binder to take the win. Márquez eventually had to settle for fourth behind Alexis Masbou, with KTM, Mahindra and Honda riders sharing the podium. Miller now heads Márquez in the championship standings by 142 points to 123.
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