Bezzecchi takes stunning MotoGP win in Portugal

Italian rider Marco Bezzecchi led from start to finish, taking his second win of the season at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old Aprilia rider won at Silverstone in May and strengthened his chances of securing third place in the championship with one round remaining.

Pole-sitter Bezzecchi wasn't as quick in Saturday's sprint, finishing third, but maintained his pace this time and finished ahead of Gresini Racing's Alex Marquez and KTM's Pedro Acosta.

Bezzecchi's dominance was such that he finished more than 2.5 seconds ahead of Marquez and became the sixth different winner in the last six MotoGP races.

Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia, who is battling Bezzecchi for third place in the championship behind champion Marc Marquez and his brother and runner-up Alex, crashed out of fourth place before the final round in Valencia, leaving him 35 points behind.

In MotoGP, a rider can earn a maximum of 37 points from each Grand Prix, with the winner of Saturday afternoon's sprint race earning 12 points and a win in Sunday's race earning 25.

World champion Marc Marquez, who won his seventh MotoGP title in Japan last month, has once again been ruled out of the race due to a season-ending collarbone injury.