MOTORCYCLING: Faultless Fernandez wins Italian GP sprint for Trackhouse

SCARPERIA E SAN PIERO, Italy- Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez claimed the first sprint victory of his MotoGP career at the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday, keeping Aprilia's Jorge Martin at bay for a memorable win.

Fernandez started second on the grid but surged into the lead halfway through the opening lap and never looked back, beating Martin by more than a second after the factory Aprilia rider cut the gap with three laps left.

The victory was redemption for Fernandez, who collided with Martin at the Catalan Grand Prix earlier this month as both riders crashed out, leading to a confrontation between team bosses in the garage.

VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the podium while championship leader Marco Bezzecchi finished fourth ahead of Ducati's Marc Marquez in fifth.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru. Editing by Mark Potter)