MotoGP news
Rosso clinches 100th MotoGP win
27 June 2009 / ResultsValentino Rossi has engraved his name even deeper in MotoGP history books by ensuring his century of race wins in the Dutch Grand Prix. The Italian's win at Assen puts him to the top of the championship from Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo as an ill Casey Stoner completed the podium for Ducati.
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As the championship arrived at the seventh race of the season, Rossi shared the lead with both team-mate Lorenzo and Stoner, all locked together on 106 points. Pole position on Friday was already part of the job completed for 'The Doctor', although a fastest time for Lorenzo in morning warm-up appeared threatening as the riders prepared for the only Saturday race of the season.
It was Dani Pedrosa's Honda which got the jump and led at the start from second on the grid, although Rossi retook the position before the conclusion of the opening lap; as the pair battled, though, the Ducati of Stoner grabbed the lead having started from fourth. The top place was Rossi's again at the start of Lap 2, however, taking advantage as the Australian ran wide at Turn 1.
From third when the red lights went out, Lorenzo lost a handful of positions which resulted in a climb back to second but a large margin of over five seconds behind the winner at the finish. Stoner, who finished over 23 seconds behind Rossi to complete the rostrum, did well to finish the race whilst sick.
The Repsol Honda team experienced a highly frustrating afternoon when Dani Pedrosa suffered yet another fall, crashing out of the race at Turn 1 on Lap 4. Incredibly, team-mate Andrea Dovizioso also fell at the same corner to bring a premature end to the team's day.
The Tech3 Yamaha squad enjoyed a highly positive encounter as American Colin Edwards was promoted to fourth after the demise of the Hondas and leading Briton James Toseland crossing the finish line sixth, with both sandwiching the Suzuki of Chris Vermeulen which made the top five.
In an otherwise quiet race on-track, a superlative battle between six bikes raged for positions just outside the top five; as Toseland eventually succeeded in equalling a career-best position with sixth, Randy de Puniet was seventh ahead of Toni Elias. Nicky Hayden's Ducati wound up ninth by fending off Loris Capirossi, although Finn Mika Kallio was devastated to have lost control and retired his Pramac bike when on course for sixth on the final lap.
Rossi's 100th victory ensures an incredible success rate, with a 47% win record from all 500cc events competed in by the Italian.
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