Swiss rider Thomas Luthi came out on top at the eventful Moto2 race in Le Mans, which also saw Italy’s Claudio Corti conquering his very first podium finish in GP racing and Spain’s Pol Espargaro taking the lead in the Championship thanks to Marc Marquez crash. These guys - as well as our personal favourite of the weekend Julian Simon - were the ones that left their marks on the French GP, and here is a nice photo gallery picturing some of the best moments of the Moto2 class in La Mans. Check them out.

View the full Moto2 2012 - Le Mans photo gallery

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Thomas Luthi may have took a splendid victory in yesterday’s wet Moto2 race at Le Mans, but our personal hero (kudos to everyone who managed to stay upright) has to be Julian Simon.

The Blusens Avintia rider was 9th on the penultimate lap, but at the final corner of the last lap he was caught out and after picking up his bike he proceeded to push his 140 kg Suter/Honda - which can’t be an easy task for someone who weighs around 60kg - for the remaining meters over the finish line and finish 13th and picking up some extra points.

If that isn’t sheer determination and respect for yourself and your team, we don’t know what is.

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Moto2 at Le Mans was another race of attrition with the wet Bugatti circuit claiming another toll of riders crashing out and changing the outcome, but it was Thomas Luthi who remained upright with his Interwetten Paddock Suter MMXII to take the victory and his seventh career win.

Luthi, who has won twice at Le Mans, took the lead of the race passing lead Pol Espargaro on the seventh lap at the Dunlop chicane and started to break away while another ten rider strong group that included Espargaro, Scott Redding, Marc Marquez, Johann Zarco, Claudio Corti, Mika Kallio, Nakagami, Andrea Iannone, Julio Simon and Ricky Cardus battled it for the remaining podium spots.

The battle lost one its main protagonists when Marquez crashed out from fifth at the Chemin Aux Boeufs chicane, while Johann Zarco in second and Claudio Corti hot on his tail started to close in on Luthi, but with just four laps left in the race Zarco suffered a highside at turn 10 leaving the Swiss rider to fly under the chequered flag in relative safety with more than a six second margin.

With Zarco out of the running Claudio Corti claimed his first GP podium in second, while Scott Redding claimed the the third spot on the podium.

Andrea Iannone was fourth followed by Mika Kallio, while Espargaro who lead the race in the opening laps finished 6th and the lead in the standings, thanks to final lap crashes by Bradley Smith and Julian Simon. Smith was able to remount and finish in 10th, while the Blusens Avintia rider who also crashed out a the final turn managed to push his bike over the finish line to take the 13th spot..

Wet weather specialist Anthony West took 7th follwed by Max Neukirchner and Gresini’s Ratthapark Wilairot who were 8th and 9th respectively.

Continue reading: Thomas Luthi wins wet and wild Moto2 race at Le Mans

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Not even a crash could stop Marc Marquez during Moto2s qualifying session at Le Mans. The young Spaniard - who could make the jump directly to Repsol Honda next season and replace retiring Casey Stoner, if the team can pressure Dorna to change the rookie rule (not going to happen) took his third straight consecutive pole position of the season.

The Monlau Competition rider crashed halfway through the session at turn 8 after posting a 1:37.710 lap that would remain uncontested and while his crew was repairing his bike, it seemed that Thomas Luthi would be able to wrestle the pole away from him as he was just 0.029s adrift, but it started raining with five minutes left and that more or less ended the timed session.

Marquez’s direct rival Pol Espargaro was third followed by Scott Redding who suffered a crash in the last minute. Andrea Iannone was fifth jumping to the position in the finale and he’ll have Mika Kallio and Alex de Angelis on the same row.

Home boy Johann Zarco took 8th while Claudio Corti grabbed 9th ahead of Toni Elias rounded out the top 10.

Continue reading: Moto2 Le Mans: Marc Marquez takes third consecutive pole position

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The Moto2 race at Le Mans was literally a crash fest with only 30 riders making it to the finish line and the weirdest crash of the race has to be what happened to former MotoGP rider Alex De Angelis.

Xavier Simeon was wildcarding with Holiday Gym Racing Team and the Belgium rider crashed in front of De Angelis and his bike instead of sliding into the gravel trap, remained upright and veered directly into and broadsiding the Sammarinese.

Fortunately the RSM Team Scot rider didn’t suffer any injuries, but De Angelis has had a torrid season so far, crashing out on the first lap at Qatar, crashing out during warm up practice at Jerez and the doctors refusing to let him ride and now being taken out by a ghost bike.

Watch the video, because it you’ll see a Moriwaki bike with a mind of its own.

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Moto2 at Le Mans began with 41 riders on the starting grid, but only 29 racers survived to make it to the chequered flag in a dramatic and crash filled first half of the race where Toni Elias took his second win of the season.

Alex Debon took the holeshot, but a hot riding Toni Elias came out of nowwhere and riding on the outside at the Dunlop turn took the lead, but in the back of the field with six or seven riders hitting turn one at the same time saw the first incident with Dominique Aegerter and Karel Abraham got the worst of it, going down on the track and luckily weren’t hit by the other oncoming riders.

At the end of the first lap Debon grabbed the lead only to be punished with a jump start penalty and on the fourth lap headed to the pit lane for his ride through. With Debon gone, the fight for first place was between Elias and Jules Cluzel and poleman Kenny Noyes, only to have Cluzel lowside as soon as he got the lead on lap 5. Kenny Noyes and Yuki Takahashi also crashed out of third and fourth on lap five.

Continue reading: Moto2 Le Mans: Crash Strewn Race and Toni Elias Wins

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