Cal Crutchlow has won the Australian MotoGP 𝓀at Phillip Island - his 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 claimed the final podium place, from 13th on grid,ꩲ after winning a battle with Aleix Espargaro and Andrea Dovizioso. Espargaro fell in the closing ꦜstages.

Pole sitter and newly crown🦩ed 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! -- ltxcn.top 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 cont🎶act with Jack Miller late in the race.

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

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