Australia's Anthony West racing for the QMMF Racing Team Speed Up In Moto2 won the Assen race in conditions similar to or even worse than those seen in the premier class saw several different riders lead the race, only to slip off on a wet but drying surface.
This left victory to the oldest and most experienced rider in the class, thirty-two-year-old West leading the pursuit, and watched from a safe distance as early leaders Sam Lowes (Speed Up Speed Up) and Simone Corsi (NGM Forward Racing Kalex) paid the price of challenging the treacherous surface.
West‰Ûªs only other GP victory also came at Assen in wet conditions ‰ÛÒ in the 250cc class, eleven years ago.
He had to fight to the end to hold two challengers at bay, with Maverick Vinales (Paginas Amarillas HP 40 Kalex) and Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) both crossing the line within eight tenths of the leader.
‰ÛÏThere was a lot of confusion on the grid ‰ÛÒ I wanted to change to slick tyres, but I‰Ûªm really glad I didn‰Ûªt." West admitted. "I got a good start, and after that I just kept pushing and tried to keep it clean.
"I was held up lapping another rider, but it worked out okay in the end. It‰Ûªs great to win again after such a long time: I had a lot of things I wanted to prove for myself more than for anyone else.
"The last few years have been stressful ‰Û_ I‰Ûªm happy to be back."
West's win lifted up to 8th in the Moto2 championship standings.
Second Paginas Amarillas HP 40 Kalex rider Luis Salom had been in this battle, but slipped off and remounted to claim a single point in 15th, two places behind the remounted Corsi.
French rider Johann Zarco (AirAsia Caterham Caterham-Suter) was fourth, Alex de Angelis (Tasca Racing Moto2 Suter) fifth, and Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Suter) sixth, separated by over seven seconds, with Julian Simon (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex) close behind in seventh.
Points leader Tito Rabat (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) had started from pole, but had a difficult race after falling on the sighting lap and only able to make the start because it was delayed by the weather. He finished eighth after triumphing over Lorenzo Baldassarri (Gresini Moto2 Suter). Hafizh Syahrin (Petronas Raceline Malaysia Kalex) completed the top ten.
Rabat‰Ûªs championship lead over Kallio shrank to 26 points, with Vinales another 22 behind.
