The 20-lap Moto3 contest kicked of racing action at MotoGP’s 1000th grand prix event, with Tech3 KTM rider Holgado proving impervious.
Holgado quickly got ahead of poleman Ayumu Sasaki on the Intact GP Husqvarna and put in a perfectly-executed defensive ride in the lead.
Sasaki briefly took the lead away from Holgado at the start of lap 12 on the start/finish straight, but was instantly relegated to second by the Tech3 rider.
Holgado kept the door closed through the final lap to get to the chequered flag 0.150 seconds clear of Sasaki, with Leopard Honda’s Jaume Masia completing the podium.
Holgado’s victory is the first for the Tech3 team in any class of the world championship on home soil.
Ivan Ortola was fourth on the Angeluss MTA KTM from Aspar GASGAS rider Ryusei Yamanaka.
The top 10 was completed by Deniz Oncu (Ajo KTM), Xavi Artigas on the Prustel GP CF Moto machine, Aspar’s David Alonso, Jose Rueda (Ajo KTM) the second Angeluss-run bike of Stefano Nepa.
Holgado now leads the championship by 21 points from Ortola and Masia, while Diogo Moreira slid to fourth in the standings after crashing out of the race at Le Mans.
Moto3 — French GP race results (20 laps)
Tony Arbolino, Marc VDS Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino led every lap of a shortened Moto2 race at Le Mans to claim his second win of the season.
The race was red-flagged on lap three following a multi-rider crash exiting Turn 6 on the lap before.
Ajo KTM’s Albert Arenas crashed on the way out of the corner and left nowhere to go for Yamaha VR46 Master Camp rider Manuel Gonzalez and Pons’ Aron Canet.
Arenas and Gonzalez walked away from the incident, while Canet was taken to the medical centre for checks.
Prior to the stoppage, poleman Sam Lowes had crashed going into Turn 3, with his Marc VDS bike narrowly avoiding a nasty collision with Alonso Lopez (Speed Up) and Lowes’ team-mate Arbolino.
Restarted over 14 laps, Arbolino led all of them to take victory ahead of Gresini’s Filip Salac, who celebrated his first podium of the season.
Lopez completed the podium for Speed up ahead of Fantic Racing’s Celestino Vietti and Aspar’s Jake Dixon.
The top 10 was rounded out by Honda Team Asia’s Somkiat Chantra, Barry Baltus (Fieten Olie Racing GP), Speed Up’s Fermin Aldeguer, Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) and Pons’ Sergio Garcia.
Lowes was due to take the restart from pole, but his mechanics couldn’t get him out of pitlane in time after repairing his bike and he was forced to start last. The Briton was 15th at the chequered flag.
Arbolino now leads Pedro Acosta (Ajo KTM), who crashed out, by 25 points in the standings.
Moto2 — French Grand Prix race results (14 laps)