MotoGP champion Marc Marquez continues his unbeaten 2014 run to eight in a row despite chaotic weather during Saturday’s Dutch TT at Assen, the eighth round of 18 in the championship in the Netherlands.

A match for Spain’s Marquez in the early wet laps, Andrea Dovizioso led the dry middle stages of the race on his way to a best Ducati finish of second.

Dani Pedrosa spent much of the grand prix battling with debut pole sitter Aleix Espargaro before pulling away to confirm third, leaving Esparago to settle for fourth.

A brief but heavy rain shower delayed the start of the race, which began with most riders on wet tyres.

However the track rapidly began to dry and pit stops, to change to bikes fitted with slick tyres, began after 5 of 26 laps.

Italy’s Valentino Rossi (12th on grid) intended to gamble on slicks for the start, but a further shower on the sighting lap saw Rossi pull in, change to his wet bike and begin the race from the end of pit lane.

The Yamaha rider salvaged a solid fifth place, but it could perhaps have been so much better for the multi-time world champion.

Rossi opted for slick tyres after his sighting laps but as rain began to fall he pulled in after the warm-up lap to switch to his second machine and was forced to start from last place in pit lane.

The Italian star hauled himself up to fifth by the end of the race and Rossi was left to wonder what might have been if he had initially started the race on wets.

“It was a very difficult race, very difficult conditions for everybody. It is always about how much you want to risk and after the warm-up lap I decided to put in the slick and at that moment it was the correct decision – it was a risk, but the track had dried very quickly,” said the 2013 Assen winner.

“It was a risk in the first lap, but if the weather remained like this it was a very good idea. Unfortunately, right on the grid, it started to rain a little bit for two or three minutes and it was very bad for me, because I had the wrong choice.

“I think in that moment I made a good decision to stop and pit before the start and I was able to change bike without losing a lot of time. Unfortunately I had to start from last, but I had the rain tyres,” he added.

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Round eight results:

1. Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 43m 29.954s
2. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 43m 36.668s
3. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team (RC213V) 43m 40.745s
4. Aleix Espargaro ESP NGM Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha) 43m 49.153s
5. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 43m 55.767s
6. Andrea Iannone ITA Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 43m 58.957s
7. Alvaro Bautista ESP Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RC213V) 44m 0.836s
8. Bradley Smith GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1) 44m 0.939s
9. Cal Crutchlow GBR Ducati Team (Desmosedici) 44m 13.985s
10. Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda MotoGP (RC213V) 44m 18.616s
11. Broc Parkes AUS Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM-ART)* 44m 21.817s
12. Scott Redding GBR Go&Fun Honda Gresini (RCV1000R)* 44m 30.283s
13. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 44m 34.595s
14. Karel Abraham CZE Cardion AB Motoracing (RCV1000R) 44m 35.934s
15. Danilo Petrucci ITA IodaRacing Project (ART) 44m 47.565s
16. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 44m 49.707s
17. Nicky Hayden USA Drive M7 Aspar (RCV1000R) 44m 57.584s
18. Hector Barbera ESP Avintia Racing (Avintia) 44m 58.096s
19. Yonny Hernandez COL Pramac Racing (Desmosedici) 43m 41.754s
20. Mike Di Meglio FRA Avintia Racing (Avintia)* 43m 58.159s
21. Michael Laverty GBR Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM-ART) 44m 49.966s
22. Colin Edwards USA NGM Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha) 43m 33.704s
Pol Espargaro ESP Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)* DNF

Championship standings after round eight of 18:

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