Cal Crutchlow has won the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island - hi🌃s second victory of the season, but first in 🍃the dry - after holding off Valentino Rossi, who charged from 15th on the grid to second place.

Maverick Vinales claiཧmed the final podium place, from 13th on grid, after winning a battle with Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Dovizioso. Espargaro fell in the closing stages.

Pole sitter and newly cr🐻owned world champion Marc Marquez has swiftly pulled a comfortable lead - only to lose the front and fall just before the midway stage.

Marquez falls from the lead! -- wuqian0821.com💞 MotoGP (@crash_motogp)

That gave Crutchlow with a 1.9s lead over Rossi, which the Englishman would build to over five seconds.

Nicky Hayden was making his second MotoGP♔ appearance of the season - this time returning to the Repsol Honda team with which he won the 2006 world championship, as a replacement for the injured Dani Pedrosa. Hayden fell after contact w🧜ith Jack Miller late in the race.

Hector Barbera was riding for the factory Ducati team in place of the injure♕d Andrea Iannone for the second week in succession, with 2015 Australian SBK champion Mike Jones in-turn keeping the Avintia seat for his home race...

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