Sunday 21 October 2012

Lorenzo Secures Sepang Win

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Jorge Lorenzo closed in on the MotoGP crown after tiptoeing home in second place behind title rival Dani Pedrosa in a wet race in Malaysia.

Lorenzo started on pole but ceded the lead to his fellow Spaniard with 11 laps to go as the rain started to fall on an already wet Sepang track.

Pedrosa was coping much better with the wet conditions and was over three seconds clear when the race was eventually halted seven laps earlier than the scheduled 20 with riders dropping like flies.

Lorenzo clearly had no intention of attempting to match the pace of Repsol Honda's Pedrosa, with second place enough to keep him 23 points clear in the championship standings.

The Yamaha rider appeared to have called it right as he survived a serious wobble moments before the red flags came out to halt the race.

Britain's Cal Crutchlow was one of a number of riders to fall victim to the treacherous conditions, with Randy de Puniet sliding off in exactly the same spot as the Briton made his way off the track.

Andrea Dovizioso was pushing Casey Stoner for third place when he slid off, all but ending the Italian's hopes of catching the Honda rider in championship.

Yamaha's Ben Spies was already struggling down in ninth when he high-sided and suffered what looked a nasty wrist injury in the process, while Stefan Bradl and Ivan Silva also crashed out.


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