Moto2: Huge accident overshadows Elias Misano win

Toni Elias has increased his Moto2 title lead to a mighty 83 points after his sixth victory of the season at Misano on Sunday, in a race overshadowed by a huge accident involving Shoya Tomizawa, Scott Redding and Alex de Angelis.

Fourth place Tomizawa, winner of the first ever Moto2 event at Qatar, spun off the back off his Technomag-CIP Suter after running wide coming onto the fast back straight. The Japanese was then hit flat out by both Redding and de Angelis, who were following closely behind and had no time to react.

Bikes and bodies were thrown in all directions by the 130mph plus accident, with de Angelis - making his Moto2 return with JiR - amazingly able to walk away, while Redding and an apparently unconscious Tomizawa were quickly scooped up and carried away on a stretcher.

The race was not stopped.

Tomizawa has been transported from the medical centre to a local hospital with Redding expected to follow soon.

UPDATE: Tragically, Tomizawa died of his injuries in hospital.

Elias, meanwhile, had been third on lap one and took the lead for the first on lap six of 26.

After the Tomizawa accident blew apart the lead group, Elias and his Gresini Moriwaki built a safe lead of several seconds over Aspar Suter's Julian Simon, the rider Elias also beat last Sunday at Indianapolis.

Simone Corsi looked set to claim his third podium of the year for JiR, in his and the team's home event, but his pace plummeted in the closing stages and he was overtaken by Thomas Luthi, who came form outside the top ten to claim his first rostrum since round seven in Catalunya.

Andrea Iannone, who began the seventh second in the points, was given a jump start penalty while leading on lap two - then retired on the penalty lap with technical problems having worked his way from the back of the field to 15th.

As a result, Simon is now second in the championship behind Elias. Luthi is third with Iannone dropping to fourth.

Former JiR rider Mattia Pasini fell from eighth place on lap nine of the race on his Moto2 comeback with Italtrans Suter.

Race results - Misano:

1. Elias (Moriwaki) 26 laps
2. Simon (Suter) +1.969s
3. Luthi (Moriwaki) +11.917s
4. Corsi (Motobi) +15.409s
5. Bradl (Suter) +16.219s
6. Cluzel (Suter) +16.676s
7. Talmacsi (Speed Up) +16.852s
8. Aegerter (Suter) +18.330s
9. Corti (Suter) +20.650s
10. Rolfo (Suter) +29.678s

Redding (Suter) DNF