Elías maintains winning Moto2 ways with French triumph

Toni Elías opened up an 18-point lead at the top of the Moto2 World Championship standings with victory at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, his second win of the season. The Spanish rider led a podium which was completed by Julián Simón and Simone Corsi at the Le Mans circuit, in a race that was extremely eventful in its opening stages.

Elías made a rapid start from seventh on the grid and took the early lead, but Alex Debón was soon in front. However, the Aeroport de Castelló-Ajo rider was penalised for a jump-start and had to take a ride through penalty as he lost first position. Meanwhile Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing) and Dominique Aegerter (Technomag-CIP) had first-lap crashes in what was to be a chaotic period.

Yuki Takahashi (Tech3 Racing) was the next rider down when riding in fifth place as his race ended early, and pole position man Kenny Noyes (Jack&Jones by Antonio Banderas) suffered the same disappointment.

At the head of the race Elías, Jules Cluzel (Forward Racing) and Julián Simón (Mapfre Aspar) established themselves as the early contenders for the podium, meanwhile Raffaele De Rosa (Tech3 Racing) was the next rider to crash out.

Cluzel delighted his home crowd by taking the lead but disaster struck when he lost the front of his bike on lap six when at the head of the pack. Wild card rider Xavier Simeon fell and his bike caused Alex de Angelis (RSM Team Scot) to crash, and Championship leader at the start of the race Shoya Tomizawa (Technomag-CIP) and Mattia Pasini (JiR Moto2) both crashed out as well.

All of this was happening while Elías maintained the lead and the Spaniard and Simón began edging out in front, with Andrea Iannone (Fimmco Speed Up) and Simone Corsi (JiR Moto2) the next two riders behind.

Elías started to stretch his lead as the race made its way towards the end, and by the penultimate lap his advantage over Simón was almost two seconds. It was not to be overcome and the Gresini Racing Moto2 man crossed the finish line to take his second win of the season and the lead of the Championship.

Simón, riding his first race of the campaign on the Suter chassis, secured his first podium of 2010 with second spot as he moved into fourth place in the Championship, and Corsi completed the top three after managing to open a gap up between himself and Iannone, who placed fourth. Corsi now occupies third in the overall standings.

Iannone’s team-mate Gabor Talmacsi took fifth spot, with Sergio Gadea (Tenerife 40 Pons), Ratthapark Wilairot (Thai Honda PTT Singha-SAG), Fonsi Nieto (G22 Holiday Gym), Stefan Bradl (Viessmann Kiefer Racing) and Roberto Rolfo (Italtrans STR) all finishing in the top ten spots.