2012 Assen Moto2 Race Result: Duel Decided On Last Lap

Results and summary of the Moto2 race at Assen:

Marc Marquez has taken a deeply impressive victory in the Moto2 race at Assen, and with it, taking a big lead in the championship. Misfortune for both Pol Espargaro and Thomas Luthi meant that Marquez got maximum benefit from the 25 points his third win of the season brings him.

The odds for Marquez did not look good at the start. Dominique Aegerter surged to the front of the race from the start, with Andrea Iannone in his wake. Pol Espargaro looked to be on a mission, though, charging past Aegerter on the way into the GT Chicane for the first lap and starting to get a gap. His lead would not last long, however: a mistake at the Ruskenhoek saw Espargaro crash out on just the 2nd lap, his bike totally written though Espargaro himself was unhurt.

With Espargaro out, it was Andrea Iannone's turn to try to push on. The Italian worked his way past Aegerter and Scott Redding, the British rider having another outstanding race, leaving Marc Marquez to deal with Dominique Aegerter, and losing ground all the time. In the end, Redding couldn't match Iannone's pace, and the Italian quickly pulled a gap of nearly 4 seconds. 

At that point, the race looked over, with Iannone running fast and smooth at the front, but Marc Marquez was starting to come into his own. He upped the pace beyond anything anyone else could match, and once past Aegerter and Redding, started lapping a second faster than the second fastest man Iannone. Marquez reeled Iannone in, catching the Italian with 4 laps to go. Catching him proved easy, getting past - and staying ahead - much more difficult. It took the Spaniard three attempts, finally posting a move around the outside of the Haarbocht at the end of the front straight. Iannone tried one last desperate move back, stuffing his bike underneath Marquez' at the Stekkenwal, but the Italian ran wide and allowed Marquez straight back again. Marquez held on to take an impressive victory, coming back from a considerable distance behind. 

The crashes by Pol Espargaro and Thom Luthi - taken out in the Strubben hairpin when Ratthapark Wilairot lost the front and crashed - leaves Marquez sitting pretty at the top of the championship, with a lead of 23 points over Iannone. Espargaro and Luthi are now 31 points down on the Spaniard.

Results: