World champion Marc Marquez on Sunday spoiled Valentino Rossi’s anniversary celebrations with success from pole in the Grand Prix of Argentina.
Nine-time champion Rossi lined up on his Yamaha in second hoping to mark 20 years as a world championship rider with a second successive victory at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo.
However, Marquez spiked the 37-year-old’s quest as the Spaniard opened his account this year at the second attempt.
Photo: AFP
Rossi raced in second until the Ducatis of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone sneaked past the Italian veteran with two laps to go.
With fourth place looming, the motorcycling legend then received a massive slice of good fortune as the Ducati pair touched and crashed out on the final bend to leave him with a fortuitous runner-up spot on his landmark weekend.
Despite missing out on the win, Rossi was all smiles at making his first podium of the year.
With an ongoing investigation into tire safety after a Michelin tire delaminated in qualifying, the race was shortened to 20 laps, with riders having to switch bikes midway through.
Rossi said he had struggled after the change of machine.
“On the first bike I was fast, I could fight with Marquez and start to have fun, but with the second bike I never felt the same,” he said. “Then the two Ducatis arrive, and without them touching I couldn’t have made the podium.”
Dovizioso, second last year, had led early on from Rossi until Marquez nipped past to take control on lap three.
Jorge Lorenzo, aiming to follow up his win in the opening race in Qatar on March 20, crashed out on lap five, his Yamaha sliding from underneath him on bend one.
Marquez emerged from the change of machine in front of Rossi and on target to get his title defense up and running at the second attempt.
The two-time world champion, who overcame a crash-hit session to grab pole, won at the Rio Hondo track in 2014.
With rain holding off, despite threatening black clouds, he held his nerve to win ahead of Rossi, with Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa in third. Northern Ireland’s Eugene Laverty finished fourth.
Marquez did a better job of staying on his bike than he did on the podium, falling backward off it in his elation at the trophy ceremony.
“It was difficult. Rossi tried to push me on every lap and it was tough, because there was not much difference between the bikes,” Marquez said.
Marquez leads the standings with 41 points, with Rossi on 33 and Pedrosa on 27 ahead of the next race, the Grand Prix of the Americas, on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the mood in the Ducati camp was expected after their last-bend double crash.
“I understand your teammate is the guy you want to beat, but in this case it’s hard to swallow,” Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti said. “We’re very disappointed and we’ll talk to the riders.”
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