MotoGP: Cal Crutchlow wins maiden race in Czech GP

A stunning ride from Cal Crutchlow earned the British racer his first MotoGP win in a thrilling Czech Grand Prix in Brno on Sunday.

Crutchlow started from 10th on the grid but he forced his way through the pack with a brilliant performance for LCR Honda, becoming the first Briton to win a premier class race for 35 years.

The 30-year-old pulled a huge wheelie to cross the line well clear in first place, with Yamaha's Valentino Rossi also working his way through the pack to finish in second, closing the gap slightly on championship leader Marc Marquez.

Repsol Honda's Marquez also claimed a place on the podium, with a steady race maintaining his position at the top of the standings, his advantage now 53 points after Rossi moved into second place on the leaderboard.

TYRE STRATEGY VITAL IN CRUTCHLOW VICTORY

Few would have expected Crutchlow to be in contention in Brno but the Briton's race strategy was perfect, with the bold decision to select hard tyres on a drying track paying off in sensational fashion.

While others opted for a softer tyre and had to change bikes mid-race, Crutchlow made serene progress and found his LCR Honda had more than enough pace to pull away on the straights.

Crutchlow took the lead on the 16th lap of 22 and from there the result was never in doubt, with a faultless ride from the Briton setting himself up for a glorious homecoming at the next race, the British GP, in two weeks.

MARQUEZ STEADY TO CLAIM PODIUM SPOT

Marquez started the race in pole position but was beaten into the opening corner by Ducati's Andrea Iannone, only to reclaim first place with a dart down the inside to lead at the end of the first lap.

The double world champion soon found himself down in fourth place, however, with Andrea Dovizioso, and Scott Redding also able to pass the standings leader early in the race, although the British rider fell away with tyre issues.

Marquez struggled for pace throughout and was overtaken by Crutchlow midway through the race, but he was able to stick it out in tricky conditions to ensure he landed a solid points haul for a hard weekend's work.

TYRE ISSUE DOWNS DUCATI

Dovizioso looked to be on track for a podium finish with 13 laps to go before a tyre problem took him out of the race.

After finishing second last week, the Ducati rider would have been hoping to push on, but he was left to rue his mechanical failure in the wet conditions.

A replacement bike was readied for Dovizioso but the Italian was not happy and gave up with a few laps to go. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Bradley Smith and Aleix Espargaro of Suzuki Ecstar also failed to complete the race and Jorge Lorenzo trailed in last after suffering from technical problems.

Ducati riders Iannone and Redding also suffered with their tyres as the team's strategy backfired.

TOP 10

TITLE STANDINGS

NEXT UP