Moto2 Brno: Back to back wins for dominant Bastianini
Enea Bastianini was in total control as he lead from the opening lap to the chequered flag to take consecutive wins with victory in the Moto2 Czech Grand Prix.
The Italtrans rider was kept honest by a chasing Sam Lowes and Joe Roberts but absorbed the pressure, made no errors and responded to every attempt to catch him. The Italian lead over the line by 0.423s.
Bastianini now also takes over the lead in the championship race with a total of 73 points. Luca Marini is second with Tetsuta Nagashima, who lead the standings coming to Brno, now third after finishing eleventh.
Lowes pushed himself to the limit but could not quite find the pace to bridge the gap. The British rider claims his first podium finish of the season in second for EG 0,0 Marc VDS as he continues to improve after two fourth places on his Moto2 return.
The all Kalex top three was completed by polesitter Joe Roberts. The Tennor American Racing rider was elated to get his first podium finish, it marks the first time an American has been a rostrum finisher in any class since Ben Spies in 2011.
Roberts had initially worked with Lowes to try to reel in first place before fading, but he was almost three seconds clear of the chasing pack.
They were lead over the finish line by Luca Marini who picked up places over the race distance working with his Sky Racing Team VR46 teammate Marco Bezzecchi.
The duo were split by the second Marc VDS entry with Augusto Fernandez on board for fifth as Marini pulled away in the final laps with some late race pace.
Bezzecchi held off a late attack from Jorge Navarro, who had to settle for seventh but was the top Speed Up and the best of the non Kalex entries.
Jorge Martin was nearly another second further back in eighth for Red Bull KTM Ajo. The Spaniard was in turn clear of ex-MotoGP rider Hafizh Syahrin (Openbank Aspar) who took the flag in ninth.
His teammate Aron Canet was again the best of the rookies with his fourth consecutive top ten finish.
Nagashima was next and almost four seconds clear of the battle for the final points places.
Xavi Vierge came out on top in twelfth for Petronas Sprinta Racing.
The Spaniard just held off Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) who was 13th, Gresini’s Nicolo Bulega in 14th and Marcel Schrotter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) who dropped to 15th.
Fabio Di Giannantonio just missed out again in 16th, while Tom Luthi similarly struggled along outside the points places in 17th, this time unable to turn his weekend around on race day.
Moto3 champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta also found Brno tough. He finished 24th.
There were early crashes for Kasma Daniel and Hector Garzo. Jake Dixon entered the pits with nine laps remaining.
Simone Corsi missed the race after being declared unfit to ride following his crash in warm-up where he fractured his toe.
