MotoGP news
Vermeulen wins Le Mans thriller
20 May 2007 / Results / PhotosChris Vermeulen took his first MotoGP win at the French Grand Prix this afternoon. It was a stunning result for the Australian who started the race from twelfth on the grid. He took the lead on lap 13 and ended the 28-lap race almost 13 seconds ahead of Marco Melandri. Casey Stoner aided his title campaign with a third place for the Ducati team.
Dani Pedrosa drove a solid race to come home fourth having dropped down to 15th at the start. The Spaniard had been as high as second in the early stages. Alex Hoffman was a superb fifth for Pramac d'Antin having started 17th whilst Valentino Rossi ended up sixth having led the race during the early stages. John Hopkins and Loris Capirossi made up the top eight.
Chris Vermeulen took the lead in exciting fashion after rain started to fall at the start of the race with all the bikes on dry weather tyres. Vermeulen made the most of the opportune weather to be one of the first into the pits to change onto wet weather tyres. The officials had declared it a wet race at the start following light drizzle.
It was chaos at the start as pole-sitter Colin Edwards fell to fifth whilst his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi charged to the front. Local heroes Randy de Puniet and Sylvain Guintoli then both took it in turns to lead, having passed Rossi.
Rossi struggled to keep up with the pace thereafter and subsequently made a costly mistake on lap seven as he dropped a further four places. The next lap Guintoli crashed out as well as Honda Gresini's Toni Elias. The home crowd were even more disappointed when its other countryman de Puniet crashed out too the following lap whilst leading. Consequently Hopkins seized the lead before riders started to come in to change to bikes fitted with wet weather tyres.
Vermeulen emerged out in front after the pit stops with Marco Melandri also profiting in second. Lap 18 saw Nicky Hayden have a serious shunt, although thankfully he appeared ok.
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