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Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team,
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Special feature

How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag

Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.

In the run-up to the Indonesian GP, after Pol and Aleix Espargaro crossed the finish line third and fourth in Qatar, separated by nine tenths of a second, the elder of the brothers was asked who was going to be the first of the two to win in the premier class. "It's going to be me", Aleix answered confidently.

Until last Sunday, Espargaro the elder had accumulated 199 races in MotoGP - while his brother had started 139 - without stepping on the top step of the podium. The Aprilia rider put an end to this streak, vindicating the hours of tireless work done by himself and Aprilia - the Italian marque finally leaving behind the label of 'losing team' that has haunted it since its return to the top class in a hasty manner in 2015 with Gresini Racing.

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