MotoGP raider Marc Marquez of Spain celebrates his victory on the podium of the Spain's Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Jerez race track on Sunday, May 4, 2014 in Jerez de la Frontera, southern Spain. (AP Photo)
JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, May 4 (AFP): World champion Marc Marquez continued his perfect start to the season by winning the Spanish MotoGP Grand Prix at Jerez on Sunday. The 21-year-old won his 36th Grand Prix in just his 100th GP with seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi second, just ahead of Marquez's compatriot and Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.
Marquez, who had won all three previous Grand Prix this season, extended his world championship lead over Pedrosa to 28 points.
He thus became the first rider since Australian Mick Doohan in 1992 to win the first four races of the year while it was also the first time he had claimed success at the Spanish GP.
"It's a special victory because I had never won here before but I managed to pull out a gap on the chasers quite quickly despite us being at practically the same level," said Marquez. Marquez had started on pole and was in a class of his own all afternoon in the blistering Andalusian heat.
By the 12th lap he had already built up a four-second lead and after that he merely managed his advantage comfortably until the end of the race.
Behind him there was a great battle brewing between Rossi, who earnt his second podium of the year, and Pedrosa.
Rossi, 'The Doctor', had to use all his 35-years of experience to hold off the charging Pedrosa, a twice former winner in Jerez, on the final corner with the pair going neck and neck. Rossi's Yamaha teammate, the twice world champion Jorge Lorenzo, had a disappointing afternoon, coming home fourth more than 8sec behind Marquez in his 200th GP and on his 27th birthday.
