Jorge Lorenzo’s MotoGP title defense remains alive after the Spaniard won an incident-packed Australian Grand Prix yesterday, as championship leader Marc Marquez suffered a disastrous disqualification due to a howling team error.
With tire problems forcing riders to change bikes mid-race in a MotoGP first, the battle between the two-time world champion Lorenzo and Honda’s 20-year-old wunderkind fizzled out in the 14th lap when Marquez was shown the dreaded black flag for failing to pit during the mandated window.
Riders were ordered to pit by the end of the 10th lap at the latest out of safety fears, but an oblivious Marquez sped past the Honda garage after the team somehow botched a lap count on their pitboard.
Photo: EPA
Having lost the chance to wrap up the title in his debut season yesterday and become motorcycling’s youngest premier-class champion, a crushed Marquez slumped in a chair in his team’s garage after the race with his head in his hands as Lorenzo toasted victory ahead of Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and third-placed teammate Valentino Rossi.
However, Lorenzo was a deserving winner, having endured enormous pressure from the two Honda riders amid chaotic race conditions.
The win breathed new life into his title defense, trimming fellow Spaniard Marquez’s lead to a more precarious 18 points, with two races left in Montegi and Valencia.
“Today has been a crazy race,” the affable 26-year-old said after celebrating his first victory Down Under.
“With this changeover of bikes in the middle, we practiced a lot before the race. So that was one of the keys. Now, [the title defense] is still very, very tough... Let’s see what happens in Motegi,” he added.
Lorenzo enjoyed an excellent start off the grid, but was under heat within seconds, losing the lead briefly to Marquez in the first lap before snatching it back.
The overhauled race added an intriguing tactical element as Pedrosa changed his bike first, followed by Lorenzo a lap later.
Marquez wobbled dangerously as he wore his tires to breaking point before the changeover and narrowly averted catastrophe as he emerged from the pit lane to brush Lorenzo, charging up the inside on his Yamaha and desperate to snatch back the lead.
Lorenzo snuck past, leaving a wobbling Marquez in his wake, and powered away to win by nearly seven seconds after twice being denied at Phillip Island by Australian Casey Stoner.
Still enjoying a strong lead, the championship may be Marquez’s to lose, but the rookie is likely to come under fierce scrutiny from the resurgent Lorenzo and Pedrosa, who lies third in the championship and retains a mathematical chance of winning the title.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care