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Martin wins crash-filled sprint at Spanish MotoGP / Photo: © AFP
Martin wins crash-filled sprint at Spanish MotoGP
Jorge Martin extended his lead in the MotoGP standings as he won the Spanish Grand Prix sprint in Jerez on Saturday after Marc Marquez crashed out while leading late in the race.
Teenager Pedro Acosta was runner up to take second in the championship race with former world champion Fabio Quartararo third as nine riders failed to finish.
Marquez, with his first pole since joining Ducati Gresini, and Martin started on the front row, but South African Brad Binder shot off from the second row to grab the lead on his KTM.
Spaniard Martin, on a Ducati-Pramac, overtook on lap two and pulled away from the chaotic battle behind him.
On a track dappled with damp after morning rain, riders kept tumbling.
Two-time defending champion Francesco Bagnaia went down on lap three. Binder squeezed past on the inside, forcing the Italian into another bike. Bagnaia's Ducati went flying, out of the race and out of the points.
Martin built a comfortable lead but Marquez was the fastest bike on the course and closed in. Under pressure, Martin made a mistake on lap seven and Marquez pounced.
With three laps left Marquez hit a damp patch and slid off. He remounted to finish seventh.
Acosta, who started on the fourth row on his GasGas, came through to take second and Yamaha's Quartararo, who had started 23rd out of 25 riders, held off a late challenge from Spanish veteran Dani Pedrosa on a KTM to complete the podium.
D.Brown--SFF
