Valentino Rossi wins dramatic Australian MotoGP

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Valentino Rossi has won the Australian MotoGP for the first time since 2005 after Marc Marquez threw away a dominant Phillip Island lead.

Rossi was joined on the podium by team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Tech 3 Yamaha's Bradley Smith, who took his first podium after Cal Crutchlow fell from second place on the very final lap.

Marquez looked set to equal Mick Doohan's all-time record of twelve wins in a season as he pulled a four-second advantage over Rossi and Lorenzo.

But the newly crowned double world champion lost the front of his Repsol Honda under braking for the MG corner with ten laps to go, sliding off into the grass and leaving Rossi to settle victory with Lorenzo.

The Italian had exchanged second place with Lorenzo numerous times, but was able to comfortably break away during the second half of the race - leaving Lorenzo to face a shock attack from Crutchlow.

The Englishman - the surprise of qualifying after putting the 'original' Ducati GP14 into second on the grid - delivered a brilliant charge up the order after slipping to eighth on the opening lap.

Crutchlow snatched second from Lorenzo under braking for the hairpin with just under five laps remaining... But disaster struck at the very same place on the final lap, when he lost the front of his Ducati and fell from what would have been a first podium since Sachsenring 2013.

Crutchlow, team-mate Andrea Dovizioso and the Factory class Honda riders had chosen the new asymmetric soft front tyre, while the Yamahas - except Pol Espargaro - went for the extra soft. All the Factory class riders used the medium rear tyre.

Pol Espargaro crashed out of fourth place in an almost identical incident to Crutchlow a few laps earlier, handing what became the final podium place to Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Smith.

The incidents also allowed Dovizioso to claim fourth and Hector Barbera (Avintia Ducati) a career best fifth. Alvaro Bautista, top Open rider Scott Redding, Hiroshi Aoyama, Alex de Angelis and Nicky Hayden completed an unusual top ten.

Marquez's team-mate Dani Pedrosa failed to finish after being hit by Andrea Iannone (Pramac Ducati), also at the hairpin, which was the scene of a later clash between Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) and Aleix Espargaro (Forward Yamaha).

Rossi, who had not won two races in a season since 2010, has now moved into a clear second place in the world championship with two rounds to go. The Doctor holds an eight point advantage over Lorenzo, with Pedrosa slipping 25 points from Rossi.

The penultimate round of the 2014 MotoGP season will take place at Sepang in Malaysia next weekend.

Australian MotoGP:
1. Valentino Rossi
2. Jorge Lorenzo
3. Bradley Smith
4. Andrea Dovizioso
5. Hector Barbera
6. Alvaro Bautista
7. Scott Redding
8. Hiroshi Aoyama
9. Alex De Angelis
10. Nicky Hayden
11. Yonny Hernandez
12. Danilo Petrucci
13. Michael Laverty
14. Mike Di Meglio
Cal Crutchlow
Pol Espargaro
Aleix Espargaro
Stefan Bradl
Marc Marquez
Broc Parkes
Dani Pedrosa
Andrea Iannone
Karel Abraham