MotoGP Assen: Roberts rules Moto2 on Friday

Italtrans’ Joe Roberts completed Friday’s Moto2 action at the top of the times thanks to a 1’37.393 around the Assen TT Circuit.

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Augusto Fernandez and Inde GasGas Aspar’s Albert Arenas completed the top three with both Brits Sam Lowes and Jake Dixon missing the mark after FP2 crashes.

The intermediate class action kicked off with Fermín Aldeguer in charge of the times with a 1’57.489 before Aron Canet, Roberts and Marcel Schrotter bettered for position in the sodden conditions. Local rider Zonta van der Goorbergh impressing on the RW Racing machine to take second with his fourth revolution before replacement rider Alex Toledo - in for Gabriel Rodrigo at Pertamina SAG - set the 1’55.3 pace.

Canet was back in charge of the Schrotter/Roberts trio after ten minutes with the Dutch rider bettering Gresini’s Filip Salac in the top five. Aldeguer returning to P1 on the MB Conveyors Speed Up as Canet bailed out of a red sector flyer and into pitlane.

Lowes kicked his Assen weekend off with a seventh place effort as his Elf Marc VDS teammate Tony Arbolino found fourth. Schrotter battling with the Speed Up out front while van der Goorbergh continued to challenge from third.

Americans Roberts and Cameron Beaubier sat fourth and fifth with 15 minutes dispatched until the Italtrans rider advanced again, to third. Schrotter improving the target to 1’50.682 as the halfway stage approached with Barry Baltus and Lowes now in the top six.

The halfway point found Beaubier at the top with the first 1’49 of the weekend and well over half a second clear of his closest rivals. Schrotter challenging by a tenth next time around with Roberts joining his compatriot in the top three moments later.

Baltus suffered a turn 12 crash