MotoGP news
Rossi wins as Lorenzo falls at Brno
16 August 2009 / Results / PhotosValentino Rossi has extended his championship lead by winning the Czech Grand Prix at Brno on Sunday afternoon. The Italian rider and current World Champion led from pole position as team-mate Jorge Lorenzo lost control whilst fighting for the lead to crash for the second consecutive race.
With Lorenzo having been fastest in all sessions this weekend bar qualifying, it was Rossi who led from pole position as the red lights went out. The two Yamahas ran in tandem for the majority of the afternoon although the drama would reach its climax when the Spaniard - second in the championship and the only challenger to Rossi with Casey Stoner missing three races - let the pressure get the better of him and crashed.
The dominant pairing controlled the race until Lorenzo's mistake with five laps to go which let compatriot Dani Pedrosa inherit a fortunate second place despite being a massive 14 seconds behind the winner. It was a good day for Spain as Toni Elías - ousted by the Honda Gresini team for next year - stole a podium spot by narrowly fending off Donington Park winner Andrea Dovizioso as well as the Suzuki of Loris Capirossi, who ensured three Italians finished in the top five places.
Nicky Hayden was able to bring his Ducati home in sixth place as team-mate Mika Kallio - stepping in for Stoner for at least three races - tangled with Marco Melandri's Kawasaki with only a couple of laps remaining; the duo made their post-collision feelings public in the gravel trap in front of the 140,000 crowd as they joined Lorenzo and Michel Fabrizio's Pramac in the list of retirements.
Colin Edwards brought his Tech3 Yamaha home seventh to complete a strong weekend for the squad with team-mate and only Briton in the race James Toseland ninth; the pair sandwiched the second Gresini of Alex de Angelis, who will also be out of the team next season, as Randy de Puniet's LCR rounded out the top ten.
Rossi's win in the Czech Republic increases his points advantage over Jorge Lorenzo to a large 50 points at the top of the championship standings with six races remaining in 2009; the Italian is now in an even stronger position to clinch his second consecutive and sixth overall MotoGP crown. Pedrosa moves to within 15 points of the absent Casey Stoner for third in the title race.
The MotoGP circus will head to the United States next time out for the second time this year and the legendary Indianapolis circuit in a fortnight's time.
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