Jorge Lorenzo put in an exhibition ride to win a thrilling Grand Prix de France and go top of the world championship standings yesterday.
The Yamaha rider crossed the line more than 10 seconds clear of his teammate Valentino Rossi, with Maverick Vinales on a Suzuki in third.
Lorenzo, who takes over the lead of the title race from Marc Marquez, was completing a perfect weekend in Le Mans after the Spaniard set a record-breaking lap in qualifying on Saturday.
The defending world champion enjoyed a serene afternoon at the historic Bugatti circuit, avoiding mayhem behind with no fewer than eight riders failing to complete the 28 laps.
“This was a very important race, a great race for the championship,” said Lorenzo, who now leads Marquez by five points.
Marquez was one of those to crash, although he remounted his Honda to trail in at the rear of the pack.
Rossi was a relieved man to add 20 points to his championship tally.
“I lost a lot of time at the beginning, but that’s normal when you start from the 10th row,” the Italian said.
“After good pace, I got in front of Marquez and Dovizioso, but Lorenzo was too far in front. I’m happy after a difficult weekend — 20 points is good for the championship,” he said.
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