Game on at Le Mans: who can steal the headlines in France?

One man hoping to leapfrog the Frenchman a little earlier in the race this time around is Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The Spaniard followed up his first MotoGP™ win at COTA with a second place behind Marquez, but Rins had fought through to it from ninth on the grid. Saturday form is the chink in his armour as it stands, and the Suzuki man says he’s unsure as to why. Can he unlock that one lap pace at Le Mans? Or will he be forced to slice through the pack again before unleashing his speed? Only one point off Marquez in the standings, Rins will be pulling out all the stops on Saturday to set himself up for an assault on a second win and the lead.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), meanwhile, missed the podium at Jerez by mere tenths and saw himself slip down to third in the standings. Last year at Le Mans he crashed, but it was out the lead – and it’s a track that’s been kinder to the Italian than Jerez. A Ducati has never won there, but with the increasing all-round form of the Borgo Panigale factory, is now the time? As Rins surges towards the front and the likes of Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) take points off him, the Italian will be refocused to attack in France.

And what of Viñales? After his first podium of the season the Spaniard could be a key threat, and he won at Le Mans in 2017 when he famously outpaced teammate Valentino Rossi and the ‘Doctor’ went down on the final lap. Rossi, too, could be one to watch despite a more difficult Jerez, having won there three times in the premier class and boasting the usual impressive record. And Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) has an even better record there with five premier class wins. Was Spain a blip for them and France another fresh start?