Daily Times

Marco Bezzecchi gained his first victory of the season as he took the Moto2 race Sunday at the Styrian Grand Prix.

On a track still drying after overnight rain, the Italian crossed the line more than a second ahead of Spaniard Aron Canet, the only finisher in the top 14 not riding a Kalex.

Bezzecchi was helped by late mishaps to two of his closest pursuers.

Championship leader Remy Gardner lost control and rode off the track with six laps to go trying to regain the lead.

The Australian finished fourth, three places ahead of his closest rival for the title, Raul Fernandez, increasing the gap to 35 points.

Then Ai Ogura was penalised for straying off the track and forced to run a long lap, dropping down to fifth.

Cannet, on a Boscoscuro, closed in but Bezzecchi pulled clear in the final laps to win at the Red Bull Ring for a second straight year and climb to third in the standings.

“Tricky, tricky race,” said Bezzecchi. “Aron was very fast to the end but I kept something in my pocket for the last two laps.”

In the opening race, the Moto3 riders had to deal with even wetter conditions.

Pedro Acosta of took his fifth victory of the season to increase his lead in the championship to 53 points.

The 17-year-old Acosta battled until the last lap with fellow Spanish teenager Sergio Garcia of GasGas.

The two had already swopped the lead twice and banged knees when Acosta overtook on the inside with two corners to go, causing the 18-year-old Garcia to lose control and slide off.

Acosta crossed the line alone while Garcia climbed back on his bike and held off Italian Romano Fenati of Husqvarna and the Spaniard JaumeMasia of KTM

“The last overtaking was close but we have to do what we have to do,” said Acosta.

Turkish rider Deniz Oncu of KTM, who took pole position, finished only 21st after starting at the back of the field due to a late tyre change.