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Agence France-Presse

Spain’s Marc Marquez sealed his sixth world championship and fourth in the premier MotoGP category with third place at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday.
Holding a commanding 21-point lead in the championship from Andrea Dovizioso, Marquez was guaranteed the title with a top-11 finish or if Dovizioso failed to win the race.
And Dovizioso’s fate was sealed when he crashed out five laps from the end.
Marquez’s Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa won the race from France’s Johann Zarco in second.
Starting from pole, Marquez waved Zarco through on the fourth lap to rule out any chance of an untimely early crash.

However, he couldn’t resist an attack on the Frenchman to try and win the championship in style with eight laps to go and ran wide, dropping him down to fifth.
Yet, Ducati’s hopes of usurping Marquez were quickly undone as Jorge Lorenzo and then Dovizioso both crashed out as they paid the price for pushing at the limit for the whole race.
Up front Pedrosa and Zarco were left to battle it out for the race win in a pulsating final few laps.
Ultimately though the Spaniard came out on top on home soil to deny Zarco his first MotoGP win and round off a perfect day for the Honda pair.
“It was an amazing feeling. I felt really good and I tried to push. The team did an amazing job all year,” said Marquez.



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MotoGP

Marquez wins fourth MotoGP world title

Spanish rider Marc Marquez celebrates after the MotoGP race of the Valencia Grand Prix. Photo: AFP

epa06324538 Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez (R) of Repsol Honda team takes a turn during the Comunitat Valenciana motorcycling Grand Prix at Ricardo Tormo track in Cheste, Valencia, eastern Spain, 12 November 2017. EPA-EFE/Manuel Bruque

Repsol Honda Team's Spanish rider Marc Marquez celebrates on the podium after the MotoGP race of the Valencia Grand Prix at Ricardo Tormo racetrack in Cheste, near Valencia on November 12, 2017. Spain's Marc Marquez sealed his sixth world championship and fourth in the premier MotoGP category with third place at the Valencia Grand Prix. Marquez's Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa won the race from France's Johann Zarco in second. / AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU

Sport

Other Sport

Spaniard claims latest premier class title after nearest challenger Dovizioso crashes five laps from the finish line
