MAGIC FOR MAVERICK!
MOTOGP Rossi crash lets in team-mate Vinales Super Shedden is top man
VALENTINO ROSSI crashed out on the last lap as Maverick Vinales regained the lead in the world championship with victory at Le Mans yesterday.
Vinales pounced on a last-lap mistake to overtake his Movistar Yamaha team-mate.
When Rossi upped the power to get back past, he lost the tail of his bike and slid out.
Victory helped Vinales into a 17-point lead in the title race from Jorge Pedrosa, who finished third.
Vinales smashed the Le Mans record on that final lap, charging to his third victory of the season and the 500th GP victory for Yamaha.
Vinales has 85 points after finishing ahead of local hero Johann Zarco with Pedrosa second in the title race on 68.
“That was an incredible last lap – I gave it my best to try and push Vale as hard as I could. Then I see ® him make a mistake and I took the opportunity,” said Vinales. “Finally came the victory for me, so good after two disastrous races.”
Zarco took an early lead and the reigning Moto2 champion forged clear on his Tech3 Yamaha with Vinales, Rossi and Marc Marquez riding hard to stay with him.
Vinales reeled him in before he took the lead and began to pull clear.
Marquez crashed his Repsol Honda going through a left-hander just into the second half of the race. But team-mate Pedrosa ®Êby SIMON MELLUISH carved his way through the pack from a fifth-row start.
Vinales was full of fight and when Rossi blundered, he grabbed the victory while Zarco celebrated his first top-flight podium finish.
“Fantastic, a great race, and I kept a good pace,” said Zarco.
“When Vale passed me he had a strong pace, then he crashed and for me this second is just fantastic,”.
Andrea Dovizioso ran fourth for Ducati, ahead of Cal Crutchlow on the LCR Honda.
Bradley Smith finished 13th on his KTM, just ahead of Sam Lowes, who scored his first MotoGP points.