Aron Canet got the better of Romano Fenati at the very last corner to take his second career victory in the Dutch TT at Assen. The Spaniard struck at the final chicane to beat Fenati by three hundredths of a second while championship leader Joan Mir was relegated to ninth in a frantic finish among the leading group.
With yesterday’s qualifying session affected by rain, a number of competitive riders were out of position with Fenati forced to come through from fifteenth on the grid. The Marinelli rider made rapid progress though, gaining eight spots on the first lap alone before climbing to the front on lap six, passing polesitter Jorge Martin at De Strubben.
Fenati had established himself at the front of a six-rider breakaway but a chasing group of five was starting to close them down at half-distance. This pack contained John McPhee who had qualified down in nineteenth but the Briton’s sensational pace saw him threatening a first victory of the season with both groups converging together at the front.
Mir led into the final lap but the Leopard rider, who had displayed immaculate tactics in final lap battles earlier in the season, was unable to keep his pursuers at bay this time. Exiting the Duikersloot, Joan was swallowed up as Fenati powered into the lead but the last word would go to Canet who outbraked Romano into the Timmer chicane, eventually hanging on to win by 0.035s.
McPhee pipped Martin to claim a sensational podium while Jules Danilo took a career-best fifth on the second Marinelli Rivacold Honda. Marcos Ramirez flew the flag for KTM again in sixth ahead of Gabriel Rodrigo and Tatsuki Suzuki with Mir losing so much ground in the chase to the finish line, he fell to ninth. Home supporters had all hopes pinned on Bo Bendsneyder but the Dutchman crashed exiting the final chicane and although his machine crossed the finish line, Bendsneyder was no longer aboard and was declared a non-finisher.
Moto3 Motul TT Assen – Race Result
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