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A Saturday Assen MotoGP race (although shown on Sunday by BBC – damn you, Wimbledon) saw drama from the first corner as Alvaro Bautista took out championship leader Jorge Lorenzo and, judging by the cloud of smoke, that’s one scrap M1 motor…

With the drama unfolding behind them, the Repsol pair of Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa made good their escape with Ben Spies (for once on form) and Andrea Dovizioso on their tail. Cal Crutchlow, who dropped to fourteenth trying to avoid the Lorenzo accident, was busy getting his head down and made up a stack of places in the early laps to put him on the tail of the group chasing Valentino Rossi for fifth. Despite a near-crash dropping him back, Cal refused to give up and once again bridged the gap, taking fifth spot by mid-race distance.

At the front it all got a bit fierce between Stoner and Pedrosa, who had dropped Spies and Dovi, with Stoner taking the lead with 10 laps to go. A clear track ahead and Stoner showed his class, winning the GP by a fair distance from his HRC team mate with Dovi in third and a rejuvenated looking Spies in fourth. Cal battled through to an impressive fifth. The first corner incident may well haunt Lorenzo, surrendering a 25-point lead to Stoner is never a good thing…

Hands up, at this point PH2 has a confession. Our Sky Plus box decided not to record the Moto2 and Moto3 races – ruining a night’s MotoGP viewing after a weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed! The Moto2 race was, apparently, a cracker with Marc Marquez taking it from Andrea Iannone and Scotty Redding while Moto3 saw Maverick Vinales take the win from Sandro Cortese and Danny Kent. Damn it, two Brit podiums missed – thanks a million, Sky!

Over in WSB Jonathan Rea had a shocker in the first race, crashing in the first corner at the Aragon circuit. Tom Sykes set the early pace with the Aprilia pair of Eugene Laverty and Max Biaggi and BMW’s Marco Melandri close behind before Eugene slipped past to lead.

Both Aprilias looked strong in qualifying and sure enough, Biaggi hit the front and started setting lap records. Melandri pulled his finger out and by mid race was on the heels of Biaggi and looking strong. The pair traded places during the final half of the race before a cracking last lap saw Biaggi muscle past at the first corner and pull the pin, leaving Melandri in second place. Sykes lost his third place after an incident with Ayrton Badovini, giving it up to a relieved Carlos Checa who needs the points after a poor last round.

Thankfully there were no repeats of the first corner drama in race two and, in a mirror image of the first race, the Aprilias headed up the lead group with the BMWs behind and Sykes behind them.

Five quickly became three as Laverty, Biaggi and Melandri broke clear of the pack and fought for the lead. Two Italians and an Irishman, the final laps certainly promised some entertainment and it got even better when Welshman Chaz Davies became involved! The Supersport champion has had a bit of a slow start to the season but showed his true class in the final laps, mixing it with the world’s best riders and searching for his first WSB win. It all came down to who wanted it more and Melandri certainly looked the most wild while Laverty was silky-smooth in the lead and Biaggi didn’t seem as if he wanted a scrap. How many unsuccessful late braking moves did Melandri make in the final few laps? One had to stick and sure enough he hit the front and stayed there with Laverty in second and Davies a well deserved third. Top result Chaz.

In World Supersport, Brit Sam Lowes took the win, a great result for one of the nicest guys in the paddock.

WSB Results:
Race 1:
1 Biaggi
2 Melandri
3 Checa
4 Davies
5 Laverty

Race 2:
1 Melandri
2 Laverty
3 Davies
4 Biaggi
5 Rea

Championship Points:
1 Biaggi 248.5
2 Melandri 200.5
3 Rea  183
4 Checa 175.5
5 Sykes 172.5

Brit watch: (Race 1, Race 2)
Jonathan Rea: (16,5)
Leon Haslam: (7,6)
Eugene Laverty: (5,2)
Ton Sykes: (DNF, 8)
Leon Camier: (9, DNF)
Chaz Davies (4, 3)