The opening race of MotoE at the TT Circuit Assen took that to a whole different level as, at the end of one of the most spectacular encounters of all time.
There are races that are defined by one key moment or a rivalry that changes everything, but that is often not the case with MotoE, as most encounters are packed with plenty of action from start to finish.
Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) stood tall once again as he took a sensational, nail-biting win by crossing the line 0.072secs and 0.081secs on Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40), respectively.
However, it was Casadei who was the rider in the lead as the trio of competitors approached the infamous Geert-Timmer chicane. Aegerter, who was following closely despite a huge moment at the start of the last lap, out-braked his rival as they lined up for the three swift direction changes before the finish line. The battle between the two meant that neither rider could get the perfect line and this created the perfect opportunity for Granado – who had lost touch after rubbing paint with Aegerter earlier on – to close the gap to the front as the trio rode side by side in the final sprint to the chequered flag.
Fourth place went to Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE), who pushed hard in the early stages trying to pull away from the rest of the field. Unfortunately for the first-ever MotoE title winner, not only the plan did not work out, but the #11 also saw his podium chances fade away as a near highside cost him precious time.
Fifth place went to Hector Garzó (Tech 3 E-Racing), who was less than a second away from the winner at the line. The Spaniard managed to get the better of another early front-runner of the race, Miquél Pons (LCR E-Team). WithU GRT RNF’s Niccolò Canepa and Bradley Smith finished sixth and seventh, respectively, ahead of reigning World Cup Champion Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and Kevin Zannoni (Ongetta Sic58 Squadracorse).
Unfortunately, Marc Alcoba’s promising performance turned into a nightmare as he crashed out at high speed at turn 15 the very end of the race, while he was battling hard for a top-five finish.
With today’s win, his third for the season, Aegerter extends his lead to 34 points over Granado. Race two, scheduled for today at 15:30 local time (GMT +2), will be as crucial as ever.
Source: Energica Motor Company
Pictures: MotoGP
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