Motorcycling - Crutchlow wins in Argentina to lead MotoGP championship

Motorcycle Racing - Argentina Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP race - Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina - April 8, 2018 - LCR Honda Castrol rider Cal Crutchlow of Britain competes. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci

(Reuters) - Britain's Cal Crutchlow won the Argentine Grand Prix for the LCR Honda team on Sunday to lead the MotoGP world championship after two races.

Crutchlow, celebrating a third career MotoGP win and Honda's 750th grand prix success, is the first Briton to lead the top category since the late Barry Sheene in 1979.

In a thrilling race during which Honda's reigning world champion Marc Marquez was penalized for a collision with Yamaha's Italian great Valentino Rossi, Frenchman Johann Zarco finished a close second for Tech3 Yamaha.

Motorcycle Racing - Argentina Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP race - Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina - April 8, 2018 - LCR Honda Castrol rider Cal Crutchlow of Britain celebrates on the podium alongside Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Johann Zarco (L) of France and Team Suzuki Ecstar rider Alex Rins of Spain. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci

Spaniard Alex Rins was third for Suzuki at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.

Crutchlow now has 38 points, three more than Ducati's Italian Andrea Dovizioso.

Motorcycle Racing - Argentina Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP race - Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina - April 8, 2018 - Movistar Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi of Italy reacts as he talks to a member of his team at the end of the race. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Motorcycle Racing - Argentina Motorcycle Grand Prix - MotoGP race - Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina - April 8, 2018 - Alma Pramac Racing rider Jack Miller of Australia leads the pack. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci