Briton Crutchlow rules rain-hit Czech MotoGP

Agence France Presse
TOP THREE: From left, second placed Moto GP riders Valentino Rossi of Italy, winner Cal Crutchlow of Great Britain and third placed Marc Marquez of Spain celebrate on the podium after the MotoGP competition of Grand Prix of Czech Republic at Masaryk Circuit on Sunday in Brno, Czech Republic. (AFP)

BRNO, Czech Republic: Britain’s Cal Crutchlow on a Honda took his maiden MotoGP win as he dominated a rain-hit race at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday.
Italian legend Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha took second spot ahead of championship leader Marc Marquez on a Honda.
The result leaves Marquez at the top of the overall standings on 197 points, 53 ahead of Rossi with Jorge Lorenzo dropping to third overall, on 138 points, after finishing 17th at Brno.
In wet conditions following several hours of steady rain, pole-sitter Marquez took an early lead but was soon replaced by Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, the winner from Austria a week ago.
Crutchlow worked his way through the pack patiently from 10th on the grid to take the lead from the Italian whose soft-option tires started to wear off.
The 37-year-old Rossi, who has won five top-class Grands Prix at Brno, battled back from as low as 12th early in the race.
Crutchlow is the first Briton to win an elite-class Grand Prix since Barry Sheene in 1981.
France’s Loris Baz took the fourth spot, his best ever MotoGP result, ahead of Spain’s Hector Barbera and Ireland’s Eugene Laverty.
In heavy rain earlier on Sunday, Germany’s Jonas Folger took his first win of the season in the Moto2 category while Briton John McPhee earned his maiden Moto3 win.