The 21-year-old Spaniard, who fought back from a poor start at the new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, became the first rider in 43 years to win all of the first three races in the premier category from pole position. Marquez’s Repsol Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa finished second with Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo taking third place to complete a Spanish sweep of the podium places.Advertisement Italian Valentino Rossi, who won the opening three 500cc races of the 2001 season and also triumphed in the 250cc category in Argentina in 1998, was fourth. Marquez, who now has a maximum 75 points with Pedrosa on 56 and Rossi third with 41, had slipped to seventh place after being swallowed up by the field at the start as Rossi and Lorenzo hit the front. The race was the first motorcycle grand prix in Argentina since 1999, and first at the circuit some 1,000km north of Buenos Aires.
