The sixth round of GP racing for 2010 from the Assen circuit marked not only the 80th anniversary of the Dutch TT but also the further dominance of Fiat Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo. With Rossi still out, Lorenzo’s winning ways seem untempered by any of the fields competitors. The Spaniard’s start-to-finish victory also places him within an elite grouping of riders who have taken victory in three unique (125cc, 250cc and Premier) classes at the Dutch track.
As right wrist exercises began, Lorenzo secured the starting lead, with a confident Ben Spies following closely behind. The young American, still charged from his podium finish at Silverstone, would flicker early in the race allowing himself to be passed by a heavy-handed Dani Pedrosa – who was making his way forward from a seventh place start – but also the Ducati of Casey Stoner to fill the top three positions and chase the series points leader.
This is where tire choice began to play a key role in the action. As Pedrosa and Stoner began to reel in Lorenzo in the beginning, it became clear that the softer tire compound was paying early dividends for the runners-up. As lap-after-lap action continued though, the Yamaha shod with a firmer compound rubber held up well and was said to be a critical component in the overall victory by a margin of just under three seconds. Pedrosa would go on to hold off a very driven-looking Casey Stoner (who must have wanted to prove us wrong for calling his performances thus far marginal) to hold on to second place, stationing the Aussie on the last tier of the podium.
The final two spots in the top five belong to the Repsol Honda of Andrea Dovisioso and the non-factory Yamaha of Ben Spies. If Spies keeps this pace up though, future descriptions of his ride will probably not include the term non-factory for long. The sun has set on round six, and it would appear that a clear direction is forming in the championship hunt. Just remember, we are only one third of the way through this great season, and there will be a whole lot more opportunity for thrills, spills and good or bad tire choices to come. For now you can click past the break for a full listing of the top ten finishers, but don’t fear, we’ll see you next round in Catalunya!
[Source: motogp.com | Vincent Jannink/AFP/Getty Images]
| Pos. | Points | Num. | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 25 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Fiat Yamaha Team | Yamaha | 171.5 | 41’18.629 |
2 | 20 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 171.3 | +2.935 |
3 | 16 | 27 | Casey STONER | AUS | Ducati Team | Ducati | 171.0 | +7.022 |
4 | 13 | 11 | Ben SPIES | USA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 170.6 | +13.265 |
5 | 11 | 4 | Andrea DOVIZIOSO | ITA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 170.5 | +15.323 |
6 | 10 | 14 | Randy DE PUNIET | FRA | LCR Honda MotoGP | Honda | 170.4 | +15.772 |
7 | 9 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | USA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 169.7 | +25.867 |
8 | 8 | 5 | Colin EDWARDS | USA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 169.5 | +28.991 |
9 | 7 | 58 | Marco SIMONCELLI | ITA | San Carlo Honda Gresini | Honda | 169.1 | +35.658 |
10 | 6 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARO | SPA | Pramac Racing Team | Ducati | 169.1 | +35.837 |