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Brno: a look back at 2011

Wednesday, 18 July 2012 17:35 GMT
Brno: a look back at 2011


Biaggi took the lead at the start of race one, while Laverty managed to go up to second, forcing his team-mate Melandri to fight to take back his place and set after Biaggi. Once the leading duo was in formation, for their rivals it was game over: Biaggi and Melandri pulled away; Melandri was able to take the lead on the ninth lap, without being able to lose Biaggi. Carlos Checa, left behind in the opening laps, managed to claw back his disadvantage and reach Max and Marco, but was never able to pass them and only a mistake by Biaggi let him through to second, temporarily, on the thirteenth lap. On the following lap Biaggi was back on Melandri's tail, trying to hit the front. The two swapped places a couple of times, but in the closing stages Melandri was able to fend off all Biaggi's moves and a mistake on the final lap by Max secured the win for the Yamaha rider.


Biaggi also took the lead in race two, Laverty started well, but his second spot was soon lost to Melandri and third to Checa. The pace was high from the outset and the leading pack stretched out like in race one, also Checa lost contact, but came back towards mid-race. In the middle of the race Biaggi left the lead to Melandri for a handful of laps, but eventually took it back. The last effort by Melandri came on the penultimate lap: he passed at the same spot where he took the lead in the first race, but Max snatched it back exiting the slower central portion of the track and on the last lap was flawless, so that Melandri wasn't able to attack him.