FIM MotoGP World Championship Catalunya, Spain June 18 Race Results: 1. Valentino ROSSI (Yam YZR-M1), Michelin, 24 laps, 41:31.237 2. Nicky HAYDEN (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -4.509 seconds 3. Kenny Lee ROBERTS (Hon KR211V), Michelin, -9.174 seconds 4. John HOPKINS (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -13.465 seconds 5. Colin EDWARDS (Yam YZR-M1), Michelin, -22.548 seconds 6. Chris VERMEULEN (Suz GSV-R), Bridgestone, -25.198 seconds 7. Makoto TAMADA (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -30.622 seconds 8. Carlos CHECA (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -31.277 seconds 9. James ELLISON (Yam YZR-M1), Dunlop, -59.203 seconds 10. Alex HOFMANN (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -74.062 seconds 11. Jose Luis CARDOSO (Duc GP05), Dunlop, -106.815 seconds 12. Dani PEDROSA (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -13 laps, DNF, crash 13. Toni ELIAS (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -15 laps, DNF, crash 14. Casey STONER (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -16 laps, DNF, crash 15. Randy DE PUNIET (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, -18 laps, DNF, crash 16. Sete GIBERNAU (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -24 laps, DNS 17. Marco MELANDRI (Hon RC211V), Michelin, -24 laps, DNS 18. Loris CAPIROSSI (Duc GP06), Bridgestone, -24 laps, DNS 19. Shinya NAKANO (Kaw ZX-RR), Bridgestone, DQ MotoGP World Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 17 races): 1. HAYDEN, 119 points 2. CAPIROSSI, 99 points 3. ROSSI, 90 points 4. MELANDRI, 89 points 5. PEDROSA, 86 points 6. STONER, 65 points 7. EDWARDS, 60 points 8. ELIAS, 53 points 9. TAMADA, 49 points 10. TIE, ROBERTS/GIBERNAU, 44 points 12. HOPKINS, 40 points 13. NAKANO, 37 points 14. VERMEULEN, 31 points 15. CHECA, 24 points 16. TIE, ELLISON/HOFMANN, 12 points 18. DE PUNIET, 11 points 19. CARDOSO, 5 points More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: KAWASAKI’S NAKANO UNFORTUNATE VICTIM OF CATALUNYA CHAOS Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano was excluded from the Grand Prix of Catalunya, after falling foul of the regulations during the third attempt to start today’s 25-lap race. Nakano got a lightning start first time out to steal third place into the first turn, but his efforts were wasted when a collision between Ducati teammates, Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi started a chain reaction that saw five riders crash on the entry to turn one, and forced officials to red flag the race. The stoppage was bad news for Nakano, who had already gapped the rider in fourth place, but good news for his Kawasaki teammate, Randy de Puniet, who crashed in turn one after being forced onto the grass to avoid colliding with Gibernau’s cartwheeling Ducati. The drama continued when the race was restarted, as Chris Vermeulen experienced a problem on the grid that required the attention of his mechanics, resulting in a further delay, during which Nakano’s Ninja ZX-RR overheated. The bike was pushed off the grid as the Kawasaki rider sprinted back for his number two machine, but in the confusion of the restart he took his place on the grid, instead of starting from the back of the field as the regulations dictate. Again, Nakano got a good start to steal fourth place into turn one, but slipped back after being baulked by a hard charging Kenny Roberts into the left-hand turn two. Race officials then showed the Kawasaki rider the penalty board, but Nakano didn’t see it as he battled for position down the main straight and, after failing to pit in after the requisite number of laps, he was black-flagged and excluded from the results. An innocent victim of the first corner crash, Randy de Puniet received a reprieve when the race was red-flagged and he was able to take to the grid for the restart aboard his spare bike. After a cautious start, the 25-year-old Frenchman was pushing hard to fight through the field, but was forced to try and make up time and positions on the brakes and through the turns, as he was unable to match the straight-line speed of his factory rivals. Trying to close the gap on Makoto Tamada, de Puniet pushed just a little too hard through the left-hand turn at Le Caixa on lap six, and crashed out of the race after losing the front of his Ninja ZX-RR. The Kawasaki Racing Team now head for The Netherlands, and next week’s Dutch TT, where they are determined to make up for the frustration and disappointment experienced in Catalunya today with a strong performance. Shinya Nakano: DNF “I got a good start in the first race and I really thought we were in for a good result, so I was disappointed to see the red flag, but relieved to hear that none of the riders who crashed have been seriously hurt. The restart didn’t go quite so well. I saw Chris Vermeulen had a problem on the line, and while we were waiting for it to be sorted out my bike overheated and sprayed water up the inside of the screen. I went back to get my spare bike, and that’s where the confusion started, as I’m sure I was waved through onto my grid position. I didn’t see the penalty board at all, as I was tucked in behind someone each time I came down the main straight, so the first time I knew something was wrong was when I saw the black flag together with my number. Obviously I’m hugely disappointed, and not a little frustrated, because a good result looked to be well within our grasp here today.” Randy de Puniet: DNF “I got a good start first time out, but then I was forced onto the grass and into the gravel when Gibernau’s bike came bouncing across the track towards me. I went into the gravel pretty hard, so I count myself lucky that I was able to walk away with nothing more serious than a few scuffs on my leathers. I just hope none of the other guys picked up any serious injuries in the crash. I lost some places at the restart, and it was hard to find anywhere to pass as I tried to fight my way through the field. I couldn’t get into a position where I could pass on the straight, because I didn’t have the top speed of the others, so I was having to try and make up ground on the brakes and through the turns. I guess you can only get away with this for so long, and I eventually lost the front and crashed out on lap six. Overall, it’s been a disappointing end to what looked to be a promising weekend.” Harald Eckl: Team Principal “Shinya got a fantastic start, and looked capable of securing a good result, but then the crash and the red flag spoiled what could have been a great race. It was bad for Shinya and Kawasaki, but it was also bad for the thousands of fans here, because Gibernau, Capirossi and Melandri were unable to make the restart and only eleven riders actually finished the race. I don’t think the crowd got to see MotoGP at its best today. It’s a shame that Shinya didn’t see the penalty board, as I believe his could have taken the ride through penalty and still secured a top ten finishing position. Randy was forced to push hard to make up ground on the riders in front of him when he lost the front and crashed out. Sure he is disappointed, but I know that both him and Shinya will bounce back ready for next weeks Dutch TT at Assen, where I hope we’ll be able to put this weekend well and truly behind us with a good result.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: ROSSI WINS ACCIDENT-STREWN MOTOGP RACE Valentino Rossi was victorious in Catalunya to further cut the lead in the MotoGP World Championship , although the race will perhaps be better remembered for a first corner crash which left a number of riders out of the restart. Contact between Ducati team-mates Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi caused both riders to hit the deck, taking with them Marco Melandri, John Hopkins and Randy de Puniet all fell, with the former’s condition causing particular concern to onlookers. Melandri, Gibernau and Capirossi were all taken to hospital in Barcelona, where they will undergo tests. First impressions are that all three are not seriously injured, Gibernau suffering a fractured collarbone, Melandri a dislocated acromion and Capirossi abdominal contusions. Meanwhile the restart was held up because of a problem with Vermeulen’s bike on the grid and it was third time lucky as the race got underway. Rossi started slowly from the blocks on the restart, dropping down to sixth before making his way back up through the field. Once the Doctor took the lead however he set about putting some distance between him and the chasing pack, eventually finishing four and a half seconds ahead of second placed man Nicky Hayden. Rossi’s eighth career victory at the Circuit de Catalunya brings him within 29 points of the American at the top of the classification. Nicky Hayden continued his impressive record of podium finishes, following on from his third place in Mugello to take second at the Circuit de Catalunya. The Repsol Honda rider was out on his own for the last portion of the race, not quite close enough to challenge Rossi for the win but under no real pressure from the riders behind him. Kenny Roberts, starting from the front row for the first time since the 2004 German Grand Prix, ended a six year wait for a rostrum finish to complete a fantastic weekend for the American and Team Roberts. Just behind him was his former teammate John Hopkins, who was involved in the first corner incident, and was just edged out by his countryman Roberts on the final laps, forced to settle for fourth. In a particularly successful day for American riders, Camel Yamaha’s Colin Edwards took fifth place. The Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya was the most successful race of the season for Rizla Suzuki, with Chris Vermeulen joining team-mate Hopkins in the top six. The Australian rookie had delayed the second restart after signalling that his bike had stalled on the approach to the grid, and resisted the urge to push beyond mechanical capabilities and risk missing out on valuable points once the race finally got underway. Makoto Tamada came in seventh, with Carlos Checa, James Ellison, Alex Hofmann and Jose Luis Cardoso the other riders to finish the race. There was disappointment for home rider Dani Pedrosa, who had to retire after making contact with Kenny Roberts Jr. The Spaniard was joined on the sidelines by Casey Stoner, who slid off the track from second place after having led from the restart. Shinya Nakano was shown the black flag for not restarting from the back of the grid when he changed machines, completing a frustrating day for Kawasaki Racing, the team having already seen their French rider Randy de Puniet crash out. 250cc Andrea Dovizioso took his long-awaited first 250cc victory in Catalunya, after a heart-stopping final few laps. The clearly delighted Humangest Honda rider held off home rider Jorge Lorenzo and Master MVA Aspar rider Alex de Angelis to head the quarter litre category for the first time. Lorenzo had charged through on the final five laps after lying several seconds down on the front group, eventually taking second when De Angelis and Locatelli touched going into the first turn, the former 125cc World Champion Locatelli running wide and out of contention for the podium. 125cc Alvaro Bautista took victory in a phenomenal day for the Master MVA Aspar team and their Spanish contingent at the Circuit de Catalunya. Runaway 125cc championship leader Bautista’s win came after a studious ride from pole, edging out countrymen Hector Faubel and Sergio Gadea and Italian Mattia Pasini in an all-Aspar top four. Bautista lead in the championship now extends to a massive 56 points. MotoGP 1st, Valentino Rossi (Yamaha): “The start was difficult. Normally it is hard to concentrate, but after a crash like the one we saw today it is even more so. I was especially worried about the condition of Marco Melandri, who seemed to come out badly from the first corner incident. Fortunately when I got back to the box Dr Costa told me that the three riders were conscious and were doing ok. I made a mistake on the second start, and dropped a number of positions. From there I had a full tank and it was difficult to overtake, but once I had caught up with the first group I got faster. I overtook Casey Stoner and saw Nicky’s name on the pit board, so I knew that from then on it would be a battle. It has been a great victory for me and improves my championship chances.” 2nd, Nicky Hayden (Honda): “It seemed just like the World Cup, Italy and the USA involved in a tie. All weekend I haven’t done so well, in the practices and warm-up, so I knew that it would be hard. When the light goes out you just have to leave it all behind and go out for the victory. I could see that Valentino was saving his form for the end of the race, so I didn’t really think that I could catch him. I’m sorry that the race was so dull after the spectacle in Mugello, perhaps we may have spoilt the fans a little bit this season.” 3rd, Kenny Roberts Jr. (KR211V): “It’s been a long time since I was last in this position, I think the last time I felt so good about a race was back in Japan in 2000. Although I’m on the podium I really wasn’t that confident in myself at the beginning of the race, so I just stayed out of trouble, trying to concern myself with my own job. I stabilised myself by the midway point in the race, and from then I rode a bit more steadily and was able to take the third place. The team have some new stuff ready for Assen, so we’ll bring that in and see what we can do. I was just going to sit on the couch this season and watch the races from there, but then my Dad said that he had a ride for me if I wanted it and that Honda would be onboard. I accepted and I’m really happy that I did. We have worked alongside Honda and have found some settings that have allowed us to go much faster.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: A RACE TO FORGET: Melandri involved in first corner incident and Toni Elias crashes out of seventh place The 2006 Grand Prix of Catalunya will be forever remembered for the first corner incident that involved no fewer than seven riders but it is a race both Marco Melandri and Toni Elias would sooner forget. The Fortuna Honda pair were both involved in the dramatic melee, Marco Melandri the most seriously effected as he spectacularly crashed, Toni Elias simply running wide. Melandri was taken to hospital with numerous injuries after Sete Gibernau collided with Loris Capirossi and sent all three tumbling, as well as Pedrosa, Hopkins and De Puniet. Marco was immediately treated by Doctor Costa and the staff at the Clinica Mobile, where he was diagnosed with a dislocation of the acromion-clavicular and mild concussion. The Italian was airlifted to the General Hospital of Catalunya, where he underwent further treatment and CAT scans. MARCO MELANDRI (crash): “I didn’t get away from the line well but I made up a few positions and then the crash – I don’t remember anything else. I’ve got a lot of pain coming from my shoulder but I am concious and my memory should improve over time. I want to say thanks to Doctor Costa and all the Clinica Mobile staff who looked after me and stayed by my side.” TONI ELIAS (crash): “It was a race to forget. I’m sorry for Marco and I wish him a speedy recovery. I got a good start and tried to stay with the lead group, riding around the traction problems and just giving it my all. I had a good pace but I just lost the front and went down. It was a real shame and I’m disappointed because I was riding well and could have got a good result.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone Motorsports: BRIDGESTONE SALVAGE 4TH AND 6TH IN CATALUNYA Bridgestone-shod Suzuki team riders John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen completed this afternoon’s incident-filled Catalan Grand Prix with strong fourth and sixth positions after a first lap accident involving Ducati duo Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau resulted in an initial thirty-minute delayed restart to the race. Both Ducati riders were taken to hospital for medical checks and were unable to take part at the restart. At the restart, Chris Vermeulen experienced a technical problem which led to a further delay, during which time Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano’s bike overheated, prompting the Japanese rider to return to the garage for his spare machine. He rejoined the pack but incorrectly assumed his original fifth-placed qualifying position. Nakano was given a ride-through penalty for infringing the sporting regulations, which stipulate that if a rider pits during the warm-up procedure he must either start from the pitlane or join the back of the grid, but he failed to see the penalty board and was ultimately excluded from the race. His team-mate Randy de Puniet also endured a torrid afternoon dropping to twelfth after the first lap and crashing out on lap 7, having already been entangled in the initial crash. John Hopkins was also involved in that crash, but was able to continue flying the Bridgestone flag with a competitive pace, never dropping outside of the top four all afternoon. He enjoyed a tussle with Kenny Roberts Junior for the remaining podium place behind race winner Valentino Rossi and runner-up Nicky Hayden, but was forced to settle for fourth spot at the chequered flag to equal his best result of the season from China back in May. John Hopkins: “A bit of a rough start first time round, I didn’t get off the line good and on top of that I got nailed from behind. I hope everyone involved in the accident is ok and they don’t lose any time racing. It was incident after incident and I had to restart on my spare bike after the crash I also twisted my back in the accident and it’s bruised pretty badly. I tried to preserve my tyres as much as possible and see where we could come home. Unfortunately we couldn’t quite clinch that podium but another fourth place is good. We’ve just got to keep swinging and go for as many points as we can for the rest of the season.” Hopkins team-mate Chris Vermeulen recovered well from his earlier woes and benefited from some front-of-field attrition to gain his best ever race result in 6th. Suzuki’s well-earned 23 points elevate the team to fifth in the teams’ standings. Bridgestone Corporation Senior Vice-President and Member of the Board, Tatsuya Okajima, in attendance at today’s GP commented: “That was a tough race for all involved. Firstly and most importantly, I want to convey my very best wishes to Loris and Sete. The well-being of our riders is our top priority at all times and I wish them well. I would also like to extend my thanks for the entire Suzuki team for a job well done in difficult conditions.” Junichi Kawajiri, Manager Motorcycle Race Tire Development “I think the performance of our three partner teams over the course of this weekend have perfectly highlighted the progress that we have made with our tyres at this track. Last year we struggled for race pace with the top-placed Bridgestone runner in ninth over 46s from the race winner. This year, we saw our riders running regularly in the 1m43s in stark contrast to the 1m45s of last year and John finished just 13s from Valentino. We know that there is still a lot of room for further improvement but we have been able to translate the disappointment of last year and the results of the IRTA test at Catalunya earlier this year into a much more competitive tyre for this year’s event. We will test here again tomorrow to continue this momentum and next year we must target the podium.” Race Results Overview 1: Valentino Rossi Yamaha 41m31.237s (Winner, 24 laps) 4: John Hopkins Suzuki 41m44.702s (+13.465s, 24 laps) 6: Chris Vermeulen Suzuki 41m56.435s (+25.198s, 24 laps) DNF: Randy de Puniet Kawasaki 10m32.763s (+18 laps) DNS: Sete Gibernau Ducati DNS: Loris Capirossi Ducati Excluded: Shinya Nakano Kawasaki More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Sunday Jun 18 2006 Race – Catalunya DISASTROUS DAY FOR DUCATI MARLBORO MEN Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau had a disastrous day at Catalunya today, both men crashing out in a turn-one multiple pile-up. The crash, which claimed a total of five riders, left Capirossi battered and bruised, with Gibernau suffering concussion and a fractured left collarbone. Marco Melandri, the only other victim of the first-corner melee to sustain injury, suffered concussion and a dislocated shoulder. Capirossi was taken by helicopter to Catalunya General Hospital, attended by the Clinica Mobile’s Dr Mattioli Ruggero. He underwent scans to his chest, to check that the crash hadn’t aggravated the injuries he sustained in a crash during last October’s Australian GP, and also to his abdomen, because he was struck in that area during today’s accident. The Italian then underwent further scans to the left of his chest which had become swollen. None of the scans gave any cause for concern and although Capirossi will remain in hospital overnight for observation, he could be fit for next weekend’s Dutch TT at Assen. He sustained no broken bones in the fall. Gibernau was less lucky. He will need an operation to fix the minor fracture to his left collarbone. Surgeons will replace a plate inserted after an earlier accident with a larger plate, but they will wait 24 hours before the operation, due to his concussion. Gibernau never lost consciousness after the 195kph/121mph accident and was pronounced okay following a brain scan at Barcelona’s Dexeus hospital. Unfortunately, the ambulance taking Gibernau to hospital was involved in a minor accident with a bus just 50 metres from the hospital entrance, though he suffered no further injuries in that incident. It is too soon to say when he will be able to race again. LIVIO SUPPO, Ducati MotoGP Project leader “The first corner of any race is always tricky. But the fact that both riders came out of such a big crash without serious injuries is a great testament to the protection offered by the latest riding gear. Unfortunately, this is the worst moment of the season to sustain an injury, with three races over three weekends and another two over the next three weekends. Maybe Loris will be able to race at Assen but we can’t be sure when Sete will be ready. “We were unlucky to lose both our riders in the accident. Looking at the lap times, we could have scored some good points today. Our congratulations to Bridgestone who had a much better weekend here than they had here last year, with a fourth-place finish, only 13,4 behind the winner. That proves once again how much they have improved at what was a difficult track for them. Although today was a bad day for us, this fact certainly boosts the team’s mood for the remainder of the season.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: ROSSI TAKES SECOND SUCCESSIVE WIN FROM DRAMATIC BARCELONA AFFAIR Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi emerged from a crash-strewn race at Catalunya with 25 more points to boost his world title defence, thanks to his third Grand Prix victory of the season at Montmelo today. One of the most dramatic races in recent history began to unfold from the first corner, when Sete Gibernau (Ducati) collided with his team-mate Loris Capirossi under braking and both riders went tumbling into the gravel at high speed, taking Marco Melandri (Honda) with them. All three riders were injured and unable to join the restarted race after the red flags were subsequently raised, although John Hopkins (Suzuki), Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda) did make it back to the grid after also running off track during the first corner melee. Casey Stoner (Honda) repeated the excellent start he got at the first race start, taking the hole-shot and then leading over the first eight laps before eventually folding under constant pressure from Rossi and sliding into the gravel. With extremely high temperatures and low grip levels several other riders also crashed out, leaving Nicky Hayden (Honda) as the only man capable of chasing the Italian. With less than a second separating the pair for most of the race, Rossi turned on the style with typical flair in the closing stages and had opened out a 4.509 second advantage over the American when he took the chequered flag. With no fewer than eight riders failing to make it to the end of the race it was a credit to Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards that he arrived home in fifth place, collecting some valuable championship points and more crucial data with the new version of the YZR-M1 chassis that was available to him on both bikes for the first time this season. The American’s compatriots Hayden and Kenny Roberts (Team KR) completed the podium. VALENTINO ROSSI (1st; 41’31.237) “The start of the race was hard for everybody because we were all very worried about the riders who crashed especially Marco Melandri because we could see his accident was a bad one. Just before the start Doctor Costa told me that Marco was more or less ok and I was very relieved. Even then it was tough to concentrate on re-starting the race. I made a mistake at the start and Stoner came past me, but my bike was working so well that I was able to push from the beginning and when the fuel came down it was even better. I knew that some of the other riders were having trouble with their tyres but my team have done a great job with Michelin this weekend and I had lots of grip to the end. Hayden pushed very hard but I kept my pace up and was able to extend the advantage over him. The M1 has been so much fun to ride all weekend and I want to say a big thank you to the whole team for getting it to this stage. To win at two of my favourite tracks like Mugello and Catalunya is a big, big satisfaction for me.” COLIN EDWARDS (5th; +22.548) “I can’t say I’m happy because I feel we missed a chance to finish on the podium today, but we’re at an early stage with this chassis and we have made a lot of progress this weekend. We felt we had found a good compromise with the set-up in practice but the grip levels were low in the race and I kept losing the front. It’s a difficult problem to ride around because it’s a fine line between pushing it so hard that it folds and not pushing it enough to get the required load down to the track. I’m disappointed but I was very close to the incident in turn one and I know it could have been me in the ambulance, so things could have been worse for me. It was a big shock for all of us but thankfully nobody was seriously hurt and we all hope the injured riders can be back with us soon.” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Of course we are delighted with the result and the confirmation of the progress with our bike. We now know that we have a competitive package for our riders so we hope we can fight like this every weekend until the end of the season. We said this was an important spell for us and I am delighted with the way the team, the riders and the bike have responded. Now we have just five days to the next one at Assen and we have to try and do it all over again!” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: Catalan Grand Prix at Montmelo Sunday June 18, 2006 HAYDEN UPS SERIES LEAD IN CRASH-STREWN RACE In perfect conditions, before a crowd of 107,000 sun-baked race fans, the seventh race of this year’s MotoGP World Championship unfolded in dramatic fashion. A first turn six-bike pile-up from the start resulted in a restarted race, which was won by Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), with Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) second, and Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V) an encouraging third. Six riders went down in the first turn incident at the start. Among them Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V), the two Ducati riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau, John Hopkins (Suzuki), and Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki). As marshals attended to the stricken riders and machine debris, the red flags went out and a restarted race, reduced from 25-laps to 24, was scheduled for the off half an hour later than the usual 2:00pm start. Sixteen riders lined up including Pedrosa, Hopkins and de Puniet. But there was no Melandri, who was taken to hospital with neck and shoulder injuries, without Capirossi who was admitted with a bruised abdomen, and with no Gibernau, who has damaged a plate holding together his left collarbone, a legacy of a previous accident. Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) had sped into the lead at the original start and the Aussie did exactly the same when the lights went out at the restart. He was closely followed into turn one by John Hopkins (Suzuki), Hayden and Kenny Roberts. Nicky soon moved up to second place setting an early fastest lap of the race as he did so. Rossi, who had consolidated fifth place by lap three, moved to fourth on lap four, while Pedrosa was circulating in ninth. By lap seven there was already a six-rider group at the head of the field, which comprised Stoner, Hayden, Rossi, now third, Hopkins, Roberts and Vermeulen. By the next lap Rossi has secured second spot from Hayden and on the next tour of this demanding 4.727km track Rossi was in the lead having taken Stoner at turn one. Casey then crashed, without injury, entering the stadium section, and it was then left to Hayden to make chase. This Hayden duly did, setting a fastest lap of the race on lap ten. Rossi and Hayden now had a 1.1 second advantage over Hopkins and Roberts, followed by Pedrosa. This trio was now one second ahead of Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V), who crashed on the same lap. On lap 11 Pedrosa went down at turn one while holding fifth. It was a war of attrition, with a mere 11 riders left on track. Although Dani remounted he pitted on lap 12 and did not re-emerge to contest this torrid race. Now, at mid-race distance, it became a straight fight between Rossi and Hayden for the win. The pair held a four second advantage over Roberts and Hopkins who were dueling fiercely over the third-placed podium slot. It would all come down to the final few laps. In the final four laps Rossi gradually moved clear of Hayden and he won by 4.509 seconds as he took the flag. Hayden was well clear of Roberts, who in turn was more than four seconds ahead of Hopkins. Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) finished seventh, while there were four Honda non-finishers among the eight riders who failed to complete this punishing race. Nicky said, “There was a lot of drama at the first corner, but I just had to stay focused that’s my job. Luckily it seems like everyone’s OK, which is really important. Rossi was playing today he was saving his tyres. So I knew it was going to be hard to stay with him at the end of the race, especially the hotter it got out there because that made traction an even bigger issue. Somewhere along the way consistency won’t be enough though I want to win some races.” A delighted Kenny said, “It’s great to be here because in the winter I thought I would be at home sitting on the couch watching the races till my Dad called and asked if I wanted to ride his bike with a Honda engine and Michelin tyres. You bet I did. We got the bike working 50% at Le Mans, 75% at Mugello and then 100% at the test after Mugello. This is just the start when the team gets a second rider we will really go places.” Tamada said. “This time I really had a good start and this permitted me not to be involved in the huge crash at the first corner. Even the second start was positive, I could immediately recover some positions, but later I start suffering from a strong traction lack I was not able to accelerating hard when exiting each corner I had to partialize the gas to avoid useless sliding.” A disconsolate Dani said, “Today was not my day. We were very unlucky at the first start but even in that moment I was the lucky one because I was totally unhurt after the crash, and that’s the most important thing. But also the other lucky thing was that I could take part in the second race. We had some more problems at the restart with Vermeulen and the race was restarted again. So I think there was too much confusion and this caused me to lose a little bit of concentration.” Elias said, “It was a race to forget. I’m sorry for Marco and I wish him a speedy recovery. I got a good start and tried to stay with the lead group, riding around the traction problems and just giving it my all. I had a good pace but I just lost the front and went down. It was a real shame and I’m disappointed because I was riding well and could have got a good result.” Stoner said, “I’m not happy, not just because of my mistake, but because of everything today. I feel for all the riders who crashed. Not a good situation, I saw all the incidents on replay. I got a good a start and everything, even though the track was slick today. But even when Valentino came past, I was going at my own pace and everything felt comfortable.” Melandri said, “I didn’t get away from the line well but I made up a few positions and then the crash I don’t remember anything else. I’ve got a lot of pain coming from my shoulder but I’m conscious and my memory should improve over time. I want to say thanks to Doctor Costa and all the staff who looked after me and stayed by my side.” As this intense series nears the halfway point of the season Hayden heads the standings with 119 points to second-placed Capirossi’s 99. Rossi now lies third with 90 points, Melandri fourth on 89, Dani remains in touch with 86 and Stoner sits in sixth with 65. Andrea Dovizioso (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) won a nail-biting 250cc race from Jorge Lorenzo in second and Alex de Angelis third (both Aprilia) to record his first win in the class since moving up as World 125cc Champion in 2004. The Italian qualified on pole and was always convinced he had the speed to shine here. But it was a tough race. Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia) led into turn one and Dovi, who did not get the best of starts, made a masterful manoeuvre up the inside of the pack at turn five to take second. He then set an early fastest lap of 1m 47.420 seconds on lap three and took the lead to head a three-rider group including Locatelli and de Angelis. Alex Debon (Aprilia), standing in for the injured Hector Barbera, was ahead of his team-mate Lorenzo in fourth, but the pair were three seconds adrift of the leaders. As mid-race distance approached the lead group dropped their pace as first de Angelis and then Locatelli led, and as the final laps were reeled off, a gap that had been more than three seconds had been reduced to 0.5 seconds as Lorenzo, who had overhauled Debon, closed on the leaders. With the home crowd willing him on, Lorenzo was in touch with two laps to go. Into turn one on the final lap, Dovi leapt from third to first on the brakes, Locatelli was pushed wide and then it was just Dovi, Lorenzo, who was now second, and de Angelis left to fight it out. Dovi held on to a well-deserved lead to win, and match Max Biaggi’s 1996 record of seven podiums in the opening seven races of a season. Dovi said, “In France, I pushed very hard throughout the whole race in order to improve the gap, but I wore out the tyres and so I lost the race at the photo-finish. For this reason, I decided to slow down even though I knew Lorenzo was closing the gap. The last lap has been wonderful and tonight I want to celebrate this victory along with my friends. I’ve been told I matched Biaggi’s record made in ’96 this is a positive because he has been a great rider in the 250cc class.” His team-mate Yuki Takahashi (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) finished seventh and said, “I made a good start, but in the first part of the race I didn’t have a good feeling with the front of the bike. When I was behind Lorenzo I took some risks and so I slowed down. But then, from halfway on things went much better and I was able to run with the same lap times as the top riders even with worn tyres. For this reason I’m happy, and also motivated for next race.” Martin Cardenas (Würth Honda RS250RW) was tenth, while Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) crashed out of the race in the early laps. Dovi has now increased his lead at the top of the points table and has 133 points to Lorenzo’s 108, with Takahashi third on 89 points. Local man Alvaro Bautista won a typically fraught 125cc race from his Aprilia team-mates Hector Faubel and Sergio Gadea, making it an all-Spanish podium. The fourth member of the team, Italian Mattia Pasini was fourth. Bautista started from pole, but was headed into turn one on the opening lap by Pablo Nieto (Aprilia). Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R), who started from 10th on the grid, had hoisted himself to second by lap two and the Swiss World Champion looked as if he had the speed to stick with the leader. As early as the fourth lap a nine-rider group had broken away from the pack, but by mid-race that group had been whittled down to just six men: Bautista, Pasini, Lukas Pesek (Derbi) Hector Faubel, Sergio Gadea and Luthi. Fabrizio Lai (Seedorf Racing Honda RS125R) had been in the group but was now off the pace and finished tenth. As the final laps unfolded Bautista upped the lap times to a level where only his team-mates could remotely cope with the increase in speed. This is his third win of the season so far and he leads the World Championship with 144 points to Mika Kallio’s 88 the KTM rider only completed two laps of the race. Luthi, who finished sixth, lies seventh with 54 points. He said, “I got with the fast group and was comfortable. Acceleration was good but I was a little down on top speed but I was confident I could get a podium. But with three laps to go I had some big slides on the two fast right-hand corners. I knew then I could not win so I took as many points as possible from the race.” Gabor Talmacsi (Humangest Honda RS125R), who was eighth, said, “We’re improving but I need a bit more acceleration as today I couldn’t pass Nieto. I tried every strategy but I was slower even when I was behind him and so I lost time and couldn’t stay with the front group. We are not so far away, but we have to make another step forward in order to fight for the top positions.” Honda GP rider quotes: Sunday June 18. MotoGP: Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2nd. “Sure I want to win, but I’m kinda happy with being able to run that pace today because I’ve struggled a bit all weekend. I was 10th in the warm up this morning and 10th on Friday, and I knew today that when the light went out I really had to find some speed and really dig in to recover as best I could. So I was really happy to be able to raise my game. There was a lot of drama at the first corner, but I just had to stay focussed, that’s my job, and luckily it seems like everyone’s ok, which is really important. Rossi was playing today he had more in the tank and was saving his tyres so I knew it was going to be hard to stay with him at the end of the race, especially the hotter it got out there because that made traction an even bigger issue. I wanted to be smart and stay consistent today I can’t afford to have any off-days. Somewhere along the way consistency won’t be enough though – I want to win some races.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: 3rd. “What I wanted didn’t really happen today. I’m not really confident in myself in the beginning of the race but I’m getting there. In the race I was running with John (Hopkins) but I didn’t know if there was somebody behind him. When I let him passed I realised we were alone. So I kept pushing and passed him down the straight with Honda power, it was awesome. It’s great to be here because in the winter I thought I would be at home sitting on the couch watching the races till my Dad called and asked if I wanted to ride his bike with a Honda engine and Michelin tyres. You bet I did. We got the bike working 50% at Le Mans, 75% at Mugello and then 100% at the test after Mugello. This is just the start, when the team get a second rider we will really go places.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 7th. “This time I really had a good start and this permitted me not to be involved in the huge crash at the first corner. Even the second start was positive, I could immediately recover some positions, but later I start suffering from a strong traction lack I was not able to accelerating hard when exiting each corner I had to partialize the gas to avoid useless sliding.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: dnf crash damage. “What can I say? I think today was not my day. We were very unlucky at the first start but even in that moment I was the lucky one because I was totally unhurt after the crash, and that’s the most important thing. But also the other lucky thing was that I could take part in the second race. We had some more problems at the restart with Vermeulen and the race was restarted again. So I think there was too much confusion this caused me to lose a little bit of concentration – and I was nervous too by now. I made a bad start second time round but I was actually quite calm to make my way through the field and overtake one by one. But then I crashed – I don’t know why because I was not going so fast at that moment. Anyway, we must look forward to the next race and try to get a better result there.” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: dnf crash. “I didn’t get away from the line well but I made up a few positions and then the crash – I don’t remember anything else. I’ve got a lot of pain coming from my shoulder but I am concious and my memory should improve over time. I want to say thanks to Doctor Costa and all the Clinica Mobile staff who looked after me and stayed by my side.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: dnf – “It was a race to forget. I’m sorry for Marco and I wish him a speedy recovery. I got a good start and tried to stay with the lead group, riding around the traction problems and just giving it my all. I had a good pace but I just lost the front and went down. It was a real shame and I’m disappointed because I was riding well and could have got a good result. Casey Stoner, LCR Honda: dnf crash. “I’m not happy, not just because I made a mistake but because of everything that happened today. I’m feeling for all the guys who crashed and it wasn’t a good situation during the stoppage, I saw all the incidents on replay. I made a very good start and I was doing it easy, even though the track was a bit slick today. When Valentino came past I was happy to do my own pace and wait for the race to unfold, I was feeling comfortable. 250cc: Andrea Dovizioso, Humangest Honda: 1st. “At the beginning of the last lap, Aprilia riders overtook me on the straight and so I had to recover in the braking points. I was able to take the lead braking incredibly hard, do my pace and nobody was able to pass me back. It has been quite long time since my last victory and I did it with this incredible overtaking, it is very special for me. But this time I took some risks. At the beginning I tried to go away, but the gap I was able to build in the turns I lost in the straight and so, thinking about what happen in Le Mans, I changed my strategy. In France, I pushed very hard throughout the whole race in order to improve the gap, but I wore out the tyres and so I lost the race at the photo-finish. For this reason, I decided to slow down even though I knew Lorenzo was closing the gap. The last lap has been wonderful and tonight I want to celebrate this victory along with my friends. I’ve been told I matched Biaggi’s record made in 96: this is for sure positive because he has been a great rider in 250cc. Next week we are going to Assen, which is a track I like even though last year I struggled a lot. But this year we are definitely more competitive and the feeling with the team is perfect. I want to thank all the guys that work with me!”. Yuki Takahashi, Humangest Honda: 7th. “I made a good start, but in the first part of the race I didn’t have a good feeling with the front of the bike. When I was behind Lorenzo I took some risks and so I slowed down. But then, on the half way on things went much better and I was able to run with the same lap times of the top riders even with worn tyres. For this reason, I’m happy and also motivated for next race. Congratulations to Andrea, he did a great race today”. Martin Cardenas, Wurth Honda BQR: 10th. “That was a very good race for me. My start was not so special and in the beginning I found it difficult to get a good rhythm. The bike was very good today the set up just about perfect and the engine was consistently fast for the whole race. At about half race distance I was riding well and in a very good rhythm I caught the group and eventually managed to get tenth place.” Arturo Tizon, Wurth Honda BQR: 14th. “After my no-so-good qualifying I was fast off the start and was fast enough to catch, then follow the group in front of me. The bike was so much better than qualifying, I had a very good engine today. But as the race went on I could feel the rear tyre sliding and I could not go any faster.” Fabrizio Perren, Stop and Go Racing: 15th. “I got a good start but the group in front of me were too fast at the start of the race and I could not stay with them. I raced almost all the way with Arnaud Vincent. He has so much experience and I learned a lot from him in that race. We passed and re-passed each other many times. My bike was a little faster than his so I had to check I could pass him out of the slipstream before the line if he was leading into the last lap. I managed to do it. I’m happy for the team because they have worked hard to get me here.” Arnaud Vincent, Molenaar Honda: 16th. “I gave my maximum every lap and only over the last two laps did I have problems with the ribs I cracked in my Mugello crash. The bike was good today suspension, tyres and chassis set up was good. My engine was better than yesterday but not as good as my best engine.” Sebastian Porto, Repsol Honda: Sebastian Porto has announced his retirement from racing. Shuhei Aoyama, Repsol Honda: dnf crash. “It’s been a shame. We had some problems this morning with the first bike and I had to take the start of the race with bike number two, so even if the set-up was the same, the bike didn’t work the same way. I made a good start but I lost some positions in the first corner; I guess it’s because I still have what happened in Turkey in my mind. On lap number four, my bike’s steering closed in the last left-hander of the circuit and that was the end of my race. I’m sorry for my team, for Alberto and for Repsol because the race here was like a home race for them.” 125cc: Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 6th. “My start was so-so but I had a great first corner and passed a few riders on the outside. I got with the fast group and was comfortable. Acceleration was good but I was a little down on top speed but I was confident I could get a podium. But with three laps to go I had some big slides on the two fast right hand corners. I knew then I could not win so I took as many points as possible from the race.” Gabor Talmacsi, Humangest Honda: 8th. We are improving but I need a bit more of acceleration as today I couldn’t pass Nieto. I tried every strategy but I was slower even behind him and so I lost time and couldn’t stay with the front group. We are not so far away, but we have to make another step forward in order to fight for the top positions”. Sandro Cortese, Elit Honda: 19th. “I was behind the first big crash and lost time. Then I got into a race with De Meglio. Our bikes were pretty equal and we were running the same speed I would get passed him on the brakes and he would pass me out of the slipstream. My bike was very good today and the result could have been better but for that crash.” Fabrizio Lai, Seedorf Racing World: 10th. “As usual I started very well recovering some positions. I tried to keep the pace of the leaders but my Honda wasn’t fast as the other bikes. I think that Luthi’s Honda is faster and has something more than mine. However I have a good feeling with my team and we are working in the right direction to reach good results in the next races”. Bradley Smith, Repsol Honda: 16th. “I’m happy in a sense, I did a good race but I’m not happy for missing out on the points. I had a good start and did a good first lap, and I learned a lot from the first lap. I realised how hard you’ve got to push; the limit that you got to beat, and that if you’re in the top group it’s much easier than when your fighting with people that aren’t as fast so I’m happy in that way but disappointed because I didn’t get any points.” Mike Di Meglio, FFM Honda: 18th. “I did not have a good race. My start was not so bad but I had no feeling with the bike and was not confident. I could not catch the second group and could not get a better result.” Lorenzo Baroni, Humangest Honda: 25th. “Today I was unlucky as I knew I could do well here. I made a strong start, recover many positions and in the first lap I was almost in 15th place. Then, though, two riders in front of me collided and I went wide in order to avoid them. So, I lost many positions and couldn’t recover so much. Anyway it has been quite positive today as we made a big step forward in the chassis set-up”. Joey Litjens, Molenaar Honda: 29th. “It was again Grotzky who got in my way and ruined my race. He hit me last week and did it again today. I was of the track and lost a lot of time and its difficult to make up time round here when you are racing alone. The next race is Assen so I hope for better things..” Michele Conti, Seedorf Racing World: dnf – “I started in the back and it was impossibile for me avoid the big group of riders in the first corner. Someone hit against me and I ran onto the grass losing imprtant seconds. When I rejoned the race my painful right knee didn’t permitted me to ride well and I preferred to entered in the pit lane”. Aleix Espargaro, Wurth Honda BQR: dnf clutch problem. “This morning in the warm up the things began to get better for me I felt I would ride well today the engine had a very good feeling. I was OK in the beginning of the race but after about eight laps the clutch broke and I had to stop. It’s a shame because the team and mechanics have worked so hard. When we get to Assen w have to keep working on the line we found in the warm up today.” Tito Rabat, Wurth Honda BQR: dnf- crash. “I had a crash on the first lap ad was out of the race. I was on the outside of Terol and we clashed. I was on the gas when we hit so I lost the rear end when the wheel hit the grass.”