Marc Marquez wins Dutch MotoGP from Marco Bezzecchi at Assen

Marc Marquez beats Marco Bezzecchi successful a drama-filled contention that claimed his member Alex, who crashed retired of the contest.

Marc Marquez delivered a objective masterclass astatine MotoGP’s Cathedral of Speed to assertion triumph astatine the Dutch Grand Prix, portion his member and closest contender, Alex, suffered a race-ending clang that near him with a fractured hand.

As Assen celebrated its centenary of motorcycle racing, the elder Marquez seized power connected the 2nd thigh connected Sunday and did not look backmost arsenic helium extended his title vantage to a commanding 68 points implicit Alex, seeking his seventh title.

Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi finished 2nd portion Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia came third, with the two-time champion present staring astatine a daunting 126-point spread to his teammate aft 10 rounds.

Bagnaia had won the past 3 races successful Assen, but contempt taking the pb aboriginal on, helium was pushed down to 4th spot earlier recovering to decorativeness connected the podium up of KTM’s Pedro Acosta.

Marc, who crashed hard doubly connected Friday, besides equalled motorcycling large Giacomo Agostini with 68 premier-class victories and present sets his sights connected his erstwhile rival Valentino Rossi, who finished his vocation with 89 wins.

Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo had claimed rod presumption but crashed successful Saturday’s sprint, wherever Marc claimed his ninth triumph of the season, and the Frenchman was dilatory disconnected the enactment portion Bagnaia made the cleanable start.

Gresini Racing’s Alex was successful 2nd place, but connected crook 1 of the adjacent lap, Marc made his determination to overtake his member and slot successful down his teammate, waiting patiently to pounce with 24 laps near successful the race.

Alex concisely mislaid his concentration, and Bezzecchi, sporting a caller aero bundle connected his Aprilia, squeezed his mode past the Gresini rider portion Acosta besides made an overtake instrumentality to propulsion the younger Marquez down to fifth.

Gresini Racing MotoGP’s Alex Marquez (#73) successful enactment earlier his clang connected thigh six astatine the Dutch MotoGP [Yves Herman/Reuters]

Alex Marquez crashes out

Up front, Marc recovered a spread earlier the last chicane connected thigh 5 to overtake Bagnaia and instrumentality the lead, portion his member Alex crashed heavy erstwhile helium leaned into Acosta and mislaid his equilibrium erstwhile they made interaction successful a conflict for fourth.

Alex appeared to fastener his beforehand tyre successful the incident, which gave a puff of fume arsenic the motorcycle tipped its rider consecutive onto the ground.

He was instantly taken to the aesculapian centre wherever a left-hand fracture was confirmed, with Gresini saying the 29-year-old would alert to Madrid for country aboriginal connected Sunday. More accusation astir Alex’s betterment timeline is expected to look connected Monday.

Bagnaia seemed to beryllium losing gait arsenic Bezzecchi and Acosta moved into podium positions. But the Italian Ducati rider snatched 3rd spot backmost from Acosta astatine the extremity of thigh 14 to acceptable his sights connected Bezzecchi.

But immoderate Bezzecchi did to enactment unit connected Marc, the six-time MotoGP champion did not budge arsenic helium managed his tyres and maintained his gait until helium took the chequered flag.

The MotoGP calendar has a play disconnected earlier they reunite for the German Grand Prix successful 2 weeks.

Marc Marquez celebrates aft winning the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, his 68th vocation MotoGP triumph [Yves Herman/Reuters]