PORTIMAO, Portugal :Alex Marquez powered from fifth on the grid to win a thrilling Portuguese Grand Prix sprint on Saturday, denying KTM's Pedro Acosta his maiden victory after a wheel-to-wheel battle that lasted until the chequered flag.
The Gresini Racing rider, who has already wrapped up the championship runner-up spot behind brother Marc, engaged in a captivating duel with his 21-year-old Spanish compatriot that saw the pair swap positions multiple times.
For Acosta, it was a bitter pill to swallow as what appeared to be his best opportunity yet to reach the top step of the podium slipped through his fingers, leaving him to settle for second place.
Pole sitter Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia salvaged third to improve his chances of finishing third overall in the championship and the Italian now sits 10 points clear of Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia, who finished eighth.
'A REALLY GOOD START'
"We needed to (take a) risk, starting from P5 was a little bit difficult but I did a really good start," Marquez said.
"I was feeling really, really good, the last corner acceleration was really good. So I was able to attack in that point.
"It's true that I used too much tyre in that point to overtake but it was my plan. So the plan was perfect."
When the lights went out, Bezzecchi shot off the line to take the lead ahead of Acosta while Marquez gained two places to slot into third in a blistering start from fifth on the grid.
But Acosta was aggressive from the outset and used the Aprilia's slipstream on lap two to overtake Bezzecchi and take the lead. Before the Italian could respond, Marquez also made his move to push him down to third.
BATTLE FOR THE LEAD
What followed was a masterclass in wheel-to-wheel racing as Marquez and Acosta battled for
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