3. Pol Espargaro (MotoGP)
When rookies enter MotoGP these days, it’s very easy to measure their performances against Marc Marquez but he should be seen as the exception rather than the rule. As the reigning Moto2 champion, much was expected of Pol Espargaro and finishes of sixth, eighth and ninth prior to Le Mans may not leap off the page as exceptional when you see his teammate Bradley Smith up ahead of him but for a newcomer to the premier class, Pol had started well.
Le Mans got off the wrong foot though with the Spaniard struggling to keep his Tech 3 Yamaha under control on Friday but rider and machine were transformed on Saturday and Espargaro qualified a sensational second, the nearest challenger to the magnificent Marc Marquez. Pol himself was keen to sound a note of caution that his grid position was more the result of one exceptional lap than a consistent pace that would carry him over 28 laps but he was clearly selling himself short.
On race day, Espargaro was a frontrunner throughout and never fell out of the top four. Losing a podium finish to Alvaro Bautista might have left a slightly sour taste in his mouth but the 22 year old had everything to be proud of, not only beating teammate Smith by nineteen seconds but also outriding Jorge Lorenzo on the factory-spec Yamaha.
(Photo Credit: Tech3)
