Event of the Day: Catalan MotoGP
Our event of the day is the MotoGP race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo of Ducati clinched the pole position in Saturday’s qualifying with a lap time of 1:38.680. This is the Spaniard’s first pole for Ducati which comes just two weeks after his first win for the Italian manufacturer on their home soil in Mugello. Recently Lorenzo has sensationally announced a two-year deal with Repsol Honda where he will replace Daniel Pedrosa to partner another countryman Marc Márquez. The defending champion Márquez lost the battle for pole position with his future teammate by just a 0.066s and will start from P2 today.
Last year’s winner, Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, completes the front row of the grid as the Italian will go for his second win of 2018 following his triumph at the season opener in Qatar. Four-time world champion, Márquez, had three consecutive wins before he crashed in Italy and leads the overall standings with 95 points. The Spaniard is followed by a Movistar Yamaha duo, Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales, who have 72 and 67 points, respectively. ‘DesmoDovi’ is in fourth place with 66 points. Viñales will start the race from P4 and beside him will be Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone and Pramac’s Danilo Petrucci; while Rossi took P7 in qualifying. Lorenzo is aiming for his fifth win in Barcelona, while Márquez has triumphed there once – in 2014. Will one of the Spanish racers conquer the home circuit or will one of the Italians steal the win from them?
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the fourth and final day of the U.S. Open at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. World No.1 Dustin Johnson is in a share of first place with Daniel Berger, Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka on 3-over-par. At the fourth day of the FIFA World Cup in Russia, Germany take on Mexico at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow in Group F. Also, Group E starts with the clash between Costa Rica and Serbia at the Samara Arena and the duel between Brazil and Switzerland at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don. It’s the seventh and last day of the ATP World Tour’s Mercedes Cup at the Tennis Club Weissenhof in Stuttgart as well as the WTA World Tour’s Nature Valley Open at the Nottingham Tennis Centre. In sailing, the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race continues with the in-port race in Gothenburg. In the NRL, the West Tigers face the Raiders at the Campbelltown Stadium in Sydney; whilst in the Super League, Castleford Tigers face Hull Kingston Rovers at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle in Castleford. It’s Day 4 of the 2nd Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet in St Lucia. In the Royal London One Day Cup semi-final, Worcestershire come up against Kent at New Road in Worcester.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Moto GP