Marc Marquez will look to make it back-to-back victories as the MotoGP World Championship returns from the summer break with the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno.
The Repsol Honda rider won last time out in Germany and also put himself at the top of the standings, if only by five points ahead of Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales.
Having looked at our odds for the Czech Republic MotoGP, there is little to separate Marquez, who is 3/2 to take a second successive race win, from fellow Spaniard Vinales, who is also well fancied at 2/1.
Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi will be well supported by the fans in a country where home MotoGP victory contenders are in short supply.
The Italian is attractively priced at 5/1 to get the better of his team-mate Vinales and Marquez, whereas the latter’s own team-mate Dani Pedrosa has to be regarded as something of a long shot at 11/1.
For those looking for a home rider to back, the Czech Republic’s Karel Abraham can only be described as an outsider with a starting price to take the victory at 750/1 on the satellite team Ducati.
Should the weather turn bad, Australian wet weather specialist Jack Miller will come into contention and if the heavens do open it could turn his odds of 66/1 into a nice pay day for those brave enough to back him ahead of race day.
How the German Grand Prix finished:
1 Marc Marquez (Honda), 2 Jonas Folger (Yamaha), 3 Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 4 Maverick Vinales (Yamaha), 5 Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), 6 Alvaro Bautista (Ducati), 7 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), 8 Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), 9 Johann Zarco (Yamaha), 10 Cal Crutchlow (Honda), 11 Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati), 12 Danilo Petrucci (Ducati), 13 Pol Espargaro (KTM), 14 Bradley Smith (KTM), 15 Jack Miller (Honda), 16 Mika Kallio (KTM), 17 Karel Abraham (Ducati), 18 Tito Rabat (Honda), 19 Loris Baz (Ducati), 20 Scott Redding (Ducati), 21 Alex Rins (Suzuki), DNF Andrea Iannone (Suzuki), Sam Lowes (Aprilia), Hector Barbera (Ducati).
Marquez took his winning streak to eight at the German Grand Prix as he also converted his last five pole positions at the Sachsenring into victories.
The Repsol Honda rider also moved himself to the top of the points standings ahead of Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso as Vinales also brought himself back into the championship picture as he put a brake on his drop in form.
But rather than the Spaniard’s factory Yamaha it was the satellite team bike of Jonas Folger that delighted home fans in Germany.
The MotoGP rookie wowed the Sachsenring crowds, just as fellow former Moto2 rider and now team-mate at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Johann Zarco had done at his home round in France.
With Marquez and Pedrosa set on a one-two with their early race pace from the front row of the grid, it took Folger a little time to get on terms.
But once he was up with the Honda team-mates he set about taking control of the race, passing first Pedrosa and then Marquez.
Although Marquez recaptured the lead before the chequered flag, Folger was able to secure a comfortable second and easily the best result of his career.
A delighted Folger said: “Thanks to the fans they were fantastic.”
Marquez said: “It was a really fast race. I was riding really good in the beginning. We just concentrated on our job and doing a really good championship.”
Pedrosa came home third ahead of the Movistar Yamaha pair of Vinales and Rossi, with Alvaro Bautista a surprise sixth on the satellite Ducati and Aleix Espargaro again scoring good points for Aprilia in seventh.
Former champion Jorge Lorenzo’s struggles continued as he was only 11th, three places behind factory Ducati team-mate and championship challenger Dovizioso.
Past Czech Grand Prix results:
2016: Cal Crutchlow (Honda)
2015: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2014: Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
2013: Marc Marquez (Honda)
2012: Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
2011: Casey Stoner (Honda)
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