Sunday, October 20, 2024, 08:22
| Updated 5:34 p.m.
A heart-stopping finale given by Fermín Aldeguer and Arón Canet at <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/06/troubled-by-vr46-difficult-to-provide-a-slot-in-motogp-if-celestino-vietti-wins-moto2/" title="Troubled by VR46: Difficult to provide a slot in MotoGP if Celestino Vietti wins Moto2“>Phillip Island in an all-out battle from which the Murcian emerged victorious, although either could have won and both could have even ended up on the ground. And they went over twice in the last lap, both with a touch and it was almost a miracle that they crossed the finish line. An old-school duel that ended with both drivers shaking hands and congratulating each other on the lap of honor.
The race broke down in the first lap, where it was clear that both Aldeguer and Canet had a superior pace. In that first part of the race the group was three, with Alonso López, and even at the beginning of four, with the winner of Japan, Manu González, also on the wheel but who had a long lap penalty that when he fulfilled it he went back. .
The first change of pace came after the first third of the race, when Aldeguer dropped the lap time by almost half a second and only Canet went with him, with López finally giving up. The pace was enormous and one lap after another was being rolled in pole times. Aldeguer pushed with everything and Canet did not give in, and it was time to use strategy. With seven to go, Aldeguer let his rival pass to study him. Canet was in the lead for four laps and left the door open again to put himself in a position to attack on the last lap. And that was where hostilities broke out.
In turn 4 Canet braked very late and caught Aldeguer off guard. He stuck to the tail of his rival and launched the bike in turn 10, the second to last and the most classic point of Phillip Island. Canet did not give in and they were on the wire for several meters with both fairings in contact. Finally, the Valencian had to cut off the track, leaving the way clear for Aldeguer’s third victory of the year, who described the maneuver as “a little to the limit, but within legality.” The loser of the duel, Canet, accepted the result as good, but asked Race Direction for consistency. “At the beginning of the year they explained to us that in the last round there should be no contacts, but in my opinion everything has been correct.”
Behind, the fall of Alonso López three laps from the end gave third position to the local driver, Sena Agius, who was making his debut on a World Cup podium at home. And fourth came the leader of the category, Ai Ogura, who took another step to seal the Moto2 title. The Japanese has 65 points over Canet and 66 over Aldeguer and Sergio García, and it would be enough for him to finish fifth next weekend in Thailand to be crowned world champion.
