Andrea Dovizioso gave a survival masterclass on the wet during the downpour of last Sunday Valencian MotoGP. The Spaniards Alex Rins (Suzuki) and a sensational Pol Espargaro, completed the podium at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Cheste. This was Espargaro’s and KTM’s first podium in MotoGP.

Dani Pedrosa, who was bidding farewell to the competition after 18 seasons, finished in fifth position. Similarly, Alvaro Bautista wasn’t able to shine as he said goodbye to MotoGP. Jorge Lorenzo, who reappeared after missing five races due to injury, did well not to end up rolling on the floor, as many other did.

Rins escapes amid the deluge

Alex Rins had a great start grabbing the leading position at the Valencia MotoGP from second on the grid. He was hoping for his first victory and that of Suzuki since Maverick Viñales’ win at Silverstone 2016. Precisely, the Yamaha’s Catalan pole-holder suffered another of his trademark bad starts losing his advantage.

Viñales and Dovizioso were unable to keep up with the pace imposed by the Suzuki driver. After three turns, Rins extended his lead by over nearly three seconds.

Meanwhile, Márquez held on to his fourth position as he fought with a combative Pol Espargaró during the first turns. They looked like two Moto3 riders. The asphalt resembled an ice rink and pilots kept on rolling on the floor. Aleix Espargaro, Danilo Petrucci and even Marc Márquez ( thankfully with no consequences for his already battered shoulder), all kissed the floor at the Valencia MotoGP.

On the other hand, these terrible track conditions didn’t seem to be a problem for Valentino Rossi, but rather the opposite. The great pilot from Tavullia climbed from the bottom of the grid (16th place) to the seventh place in just four turns.

In his ascent, he took over Viñales, who was starting to sink like a lead soldier. Shortly after the Italian from Ducati and his fellow countryman from Yamaha were riding together in the hunt of Rins, while Maverick was going down on the sixth lap at the Valencia MotoGP.

Red flag and a ‘second’ race

The third place of the 2018 Championship went straight to Rossi, who couldn’t get enough of it at the Valencia MotoGP. The transalpine wolves were on top of Rins when Dovizioso opened his way through the inundated track in Cheste, just as the biblical character, Moses did on the Mediterranean sea. The red bullet took the lead but then Andrea raised his left hand to stop the race. 

The red flag was waved and the sixteen survivors went to pits for a second chance in the Valencian deluge. The order of the last completed lap, when there were just thirteen more till the end, was taken to determine the new starting positions. The order was; Rins, Dovi and Rossi, Pedrosa, Zarco and Nakajima, Álvaro Bautista and Pol Espargaro, who had returned to the race after their falls.

The second green light of the day was switched on under exactly the same weather conditions at the Valencia MotoGP. Pools of water plagued the circuit and visibility was poor due to the spray from the bikes.

On this occasion, Dovi took the lead, followed by Rins and Rossi. The Ducati #4 escaped with an advantage of 0.431 seconds at twelve laps from the checkered flag, a distance that was extended to 1.6 seconds with 8 laps to go.

The legend from Tavullia, aware that the red bullet was escaping, overtook Rins. However, at this point in the tsunami, no one could catch up with Dovi, who was almost two seconds faster than Rossi and 2.5 than Rins. At the start of the last lap, the Yamaha #43 lost almost another half a second to Dovi at the Valencia MotoGP.

To add more drama to an already epic race, Bautista said goodbye to the Championship with a fall, just as Rossi did on the following turn, at just five turns from the finish line. Behind Ducati’s shark, were Rins and an amazing Pol Espargaró, who had recovered from his ‘dip’ in the first round. There will be no more changes to those first three positions.

Dovizioso sealed his fourth victory of the year exceeding the three of his now ex-partner Jorge Lorenzo. Rins took the second place and his fifth podium of the year, the fourth over the last five races. A superb Pol got his and KTM’s first MotoGP podium.

An emotional Pedrosa finished in the fifth position, just below Pirro. at the Valencia MotoGP. Lorenzo did well enough avoiding another fall as he continues to recover from the injury in his left hand. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, he will try on his new bike: Marquez’ Honda. 

Main image: MotoGP