MotoGP news

Unstoppable Stoner romps to Czech win

Casey Stoner eased to victory in today's Czech Grand Prix - the second consecutive race where the Ducati rider has converted pole into a win. Stoner finished six seconds ahead of John Hopkins, who could do nothing to stop the dominant Aussie. Nicky Hayden of Honda was third.

Dani Pedrosa was fourth on the second Honda. Chris Vermeulen's Suzuki was seventh just ahead of Stoner's team-mate Loris Capirossi, Valentino Rossi of Yamaha and Randy de Puniet's Kawasaki. Alex Barros and Carlos Checa completed the top ten.

Hopkins got off to the best start, passing the two Repsol Hondas on lap one before tucking in behind leader Stoner. Colin Edwards went off on the second lap before coasting into the pits for an early retirement, whilst Hayden shifted his team-mate Pedrosa for third. The jostling Hondas then left the Spaniard exposed to Capirossi, who duly slipped through into fourth. However, a collected Pedrosa then re-claimed the position a couple of laps later. By lap eight, Rossi was on the move and managed to find a way past fellow countryman Capirossi with ease. The Ducati rider then seemed to struggle - having to go on the defensive to see off the challenge from Vermeulen, who had passed de Puniet for seventh.

By lap 14, Stoner had churned out a three-second gap over Hopkins and Vermeulen had patiently picked his moments on Capirossi and Rossi to take fifth. Meanwhile Sylvain Guintoli was doing an outstanding job in tenth, wringing the neck of his underpowered Tech 3 Yamaha to fend off Checa, West and Elias. As Stoner cruised to victory, the rest of the race was largely uneventful, with just Capirossi re-claiming sixth from Rossi and Guintoli sadly having to yield to the queue behind him. The result at Brno now means that Stoner stretches to a 60-point lead over Rossi in the championship race.

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