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Marc Marquez Wins 2017 MotoGP Grand Prix of Aragon, Takes Championship Lead

September 24, 2017
ALCANIZ, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 24: Marc Marquez of Spain and the Repsol Honda Team rides during warm-up before the MotoGP of Aragon at Motorland Aragon Circuit on September 24, 2017 in Alcaniz, Spain. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Honda's Marc Marquez took a huge step towards a fourth MotoGP world title on Sunday, as he raced to victory in an absorbing Aragon Grand Prix.

Marquez overtook a clutch of his title rivals on the way to glory, having started in fifth position on the grid. He came home ahead of his fast-finishing team-mate Dani Pedrosa and Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo, who was in third.

Crucially for Marquez, he extends his lead at the top of the driver standings to 16 points over Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso, who came home in seventh. The duo were deadlocked heading into the showdown in Aragon.

Starting from pole, Maverick Vinales was slow off the line, allowing Lorenzo to coast around him into first position.

As we can see here, the Spaniard's Yamaha team-mate capitalised on Vinales's early hesitancy, too, as Valentino Rossi moved up into second spot with a routine overtake:

Vinales' disastrous start continued, as he showcased little pace in the early stages. His riding was littered with mistakes, too, and he slipped out of the top five. It left Lorenzo out in front, with Rossi, Dovizioso and Marquez starting to chop down the gap.

There was little to choose between the leaders.
There was little to choose between the leaders.JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

The man on the move in the pack of chasers was Marquez, who was able to get past his main title rival in Dovizioso. The Honda man then set about Rossi, though he wasn't able to get close enough to the veteran to launch one of his trademark passes for a while.

As we can see courtesy of Crash.net, there was little between the front four, while Marquez was doing everything possible to get to the head of the race:

Per the MotoGP Memes Twitter account, there was an almost manic streak to the way in which Marquez sought to move to the front of the field:

The squabbling for the minor podium places meant that the experienced Lorenzo was able to keep his slender lead intact at the front of the race, with the riders constantly worried about the prospect of being overtaken.

Rossi certainly had a lot to worry about with Marquez in his mirrors; the Yamaha man eventually had to relent after sustained pressure from his rival. 

As noted by journalist Simon Patterson, as the race moved into the final stages, it was the Honda duo of Marquez and Pedrosa who looked most comfortable out on track:

While Pedrosa was after a podium spot, cutting through the field with ease, for Marquez, it was all about the win. With Rossi negotiated, suddenly Lorenzo was smothered by the Honda rider, as he battled gamely to keep Marquez behind him. But eventually, as had been the case with Vinales, Dovizioso and Rossi, he was reeled in.

Rishad Cooper was full of praise for the new race leader, who was putting together a stunning ride:

Meanwhile, further back in the field, Pedrosa ousted Rossi for third position and then surged past Lorenzo with the laps ticking down.

Repsol Honda Team's Spanish rider Marc Marquez celebrates on the podium winning the MOTO GP race of the Moto Grand Prix of Aragon at the Motorland circuit in Alcaniz on September 24, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JOSE JORDAN (Photo credit should read JOSE JO
JOSE JORDAN/Getty Images

In the end, there wasn't enough time for Pedrosa to apply any real pressure to his team-mate for the race win. Lorenzo, meanwhile, was a comfortable third ahead of Vinales.

Another huge boost for Marquez was Dovizioso's poor display, meaning he picked up a meagre nine points on Sunday. With just four races to go in the 2017 season, this result has the feeling of a significant one in determining where the world title ends up.

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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2734827-marc-marquez-wins-2017-motogp-grand-prix-of-aragon-takes-championship-lead

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