MotoGP Dutch GP: Bagnaia wins from Bezzecchi to extend points lead
The factory Ducati rider held off sprint race winner Marco Bezzecchi to avenge Saturday’s contest, in which Bagnaia had had to settle for second. As Bagnaia celebrated an increased point s lead of 35 point s over Jorge Martin and 36 over Bezzecchi, Aprilia enjoyed a podium finish for Aleix Espargaro. The Sunday race began in similar fashion to Saturday’s sprint, with Bezzecchi once again failing to convert his pole position to an early lead. Once again it was KTM’s Brad Binder who leapt into the lead ahead of Bagnaia and Bezzecchi. And once again the factory Ducati man demoted the South African early. This time, however, Binder hung on far longer in second place, with Bezzecchi holding watch behind him. Despite the hot track surface, Binder had opted for a soft rear tyre. This went against the other front-runners, with a medium rear being the mainstream choice. It was lap 17 before Bezzecchi finally made his move on Binder. At that point , Bagnaia was a second up the road – ...