MotoGP Le Mans: Marco Bezzecchi dominates after Maverick Vinales and Francesco Bagnaia come to blows
Marco Bezzecchi has won the 1000th MotoGP race after drama involving Maverick Vinales and world champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Unable to replicate his start from the sprint, Francesco Bagnaia was beaten to turn one by Marc Marquez and Jack Miller.
Winner of the Sprint, Jorge Martin attempted to make the same swooping move around the outside of turn two, however, Marquez and Miller were wise to his move.
At the start of lap two, Miller, who crashed out of the Sprint on the same lap and turn (five), was not holding back as he attempted to take the lead away from Marquez.
Marquez snapped straight back as Miller tried to hold on around the outside, which he did on entry to turn six, however, the eight-time world champion produced another brilliant cutback to claim the lead back.
Miller finally made his move stick at the beginning of lap three, while Maverick Vinales was making his way through the lead group.
The Aprilia rider got through on Luca Marini for P4 on the exit of turn three, before his race came to a dramatic end.
Vinales dove to the inside of Bagnaia at turn nine, but just as the world champion tried to fight straight back, both riders met at the racing line which resulted in them hitting each other and then crashing out.
A disaster for both riders as a race win could have been on the cards. That wasn’t the only incident as Marini managed to save a front-end fall at turn three, but with an unsighted Alex Marquez just behind, the Spaniard hit the side of Marini which led to both riders crashing.
Battling hard for second spot, Marco Bezzecchi pushed Marquez off-track on lap 9 which resulted in him being asked to drop one position.
However, that didn’t stop Bezzecchi as he took the lead on lap 11. Keen to fight back against the rider who pushed him wide, Marquez also found his way through on Miller a few corners later.
Marquez had no answer for Bezzecchi though, as the winner in Argentina began to rapidly extend his lead.
Bezzecchi opened up a lead of over 1.8 seconds by the start of lap 16, while Martin, Zarco and the impressive Augusto Fernandez were also through on Miller, who was clearly struggling.
Miller’s drop through the field continued on lap 17 as Aleix Espargaro was the next rider able to clear the factory KTM man.
With eight laps to go, Miller then bizarrely set his personal best lap of the race, while Binder was given a Long-lap penalty after failing to lose a second when running off circuit after overtaking Miller.
With seven laps to go, and Bezzecchi leading by over three seconds, the battle for second was heating up. Martin, who was third, went for the inside at turn nine when Marquez swooped back around the outside to claim P2.
Marquez then resisted Martin again at Garage Vert with six laps to go, although their fight was allowing Zarco to slowly close in on the pair.
Still in seventh place, Miller’s race came to an end with three laps to go after crashing out in sector one.
Doing his very best to hold off Martin, Marquez’s resistance was finally broken as he crashed at turn seven when trying to perform yet another cutback.
