And so, just before the field raced across the line to start the last lap, Alcoba was leading. Not wanting to get swamped down the straight, Alcoba sat up and looked behind between Turns 13 and 14, as you could throw a blanket over the top 15. It was scarily close. Masia led for the first time and held the baton all the way to Turn 10, where Garcia pounced. Izan Guevara (Solunion GASGAS Aspar Team) tucked the front from P3 at Turn 10 and luckily took no one with him, as contact was made between Garcia and Alcoba on the run into the penultimate corner.

Garcia held firm though and took the chequered flag in P1, he returns to second in the World Championship standings. Alcoba rode well to claim a second podium of the season, his third overall in Grand Prix. Öncü crossed the line fourth but benefited from Masia running onto the green asphalt on the exit of Turn 4, the Turkish rider was emotional in parc ferme.

The top 10 finishers

Masia picks up an important P4, with Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) cementing a P5, the South African a constant threat throughout. Rodrigo will feel hard done by to finish P6 after looking so strong in the closing stages, as Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) comes from P25 on the grid to P7. The title race leader took his turn in leading but it’s nevertheless another fantastic result, his lead is 39 points heading to Round 8, Acosta beat Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) over the line as 1.1s splits the top 10.