Moto2
TWO RACES AGO, ZARCO’S
title defence appeared to be thinning by the week. Yet victories in Mugello and Barcelona have placed the Frenchman back into the mix. His Catalan triumph over Alex Rins [Pons Kalex] embodied the Frenchman’s greatest strengths; shadowing his opponent until timing a relentless final push, when grip has all but disappeared, to perfection.
Here, both Zarco and Rins had ebbed clear of early leader Thomas Luthi [Interwetten Kalex] by lap six. From there it was a case of guessing when Zarco’s attack would arrive. It came six laps from the flag, with Rins acknowledging defeat soon after. As Zarco’s pace didn’t relent, Luthi faded into the grasps of Takaaki Nakagami [Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex] and Hafizh Syahrin [Petronas Malaysia Kalex], with the Japanese securing a first podium finish since Misano, 2015.
“We all knew that this race was for Luis, to honour him,” said an emotional Zarco after the race. “The race win was the best way to end the weekend.”