Netherlands MotoGP: I Ogura wins first race at Assen after Marco Bezecchi crash

Japan’s Ai Ogura won his first MotoGP race in the Netherlands as Marco Bezecchi was taken to hospital after a heavy crash.

Italian Bezzecchi, who led the championship at Assen, crashed at 200 km/h on lap three and was transferred for further tests after initial treatment at the circuit’s medical centre.

The 27-year-old is from his Aprilia team Missed last week’s race in Brno Through a suspension for an altercation with a race marshal, was conscious with no major physical or neurological damage, but suffered “severe pain”.

Trackhouse rider Ogura held off teammate Raul Fernandez by more than two seconds for the first Japanese win since Makoto Tamada’s 2004 win.

“It’s great, I don’t have much to say but I’m really happy,” said the 25-year-old Ogura. “Many thanks to my team.”

This was in contrast to the result of Saturday’s sprint race which Fernandez won by 0.362 seconds.

The Spaniard’s compatriot Jorge Martin started from pole and finished third and he now leads the championship standings, with Bezeci seven points back in second and Ogura in fourth.

Seven-time world champion Marc Marquez was under pressure from Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia and KTM’s Pedro Acosta in an early battle for fourth, before Acosta retired with a problem with his right arm on lap 13.

Bagnaia retired two laps later, and Marquez fell behind VR46 Racing Team’s Fabio Di Gianantonio and his brother Alex Marquez, crossing the line in sixth place before being penalized for exceeding the track limit on the last lap.