MotoGP news
Impressive second on Stoner return
04 October 2009 / Results / Photos2007 Champion Casey Stoner delivered a classy performance to finish second on his return to MotoGP at Estoril. The Australian, who missed the previous three races due to illness, has moved to within three points of third place overall in the championship.
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With Honda's Dani Pedrosa having finally slipped into third in the standings after the final race of Stoner's absence, the Ducati man immediately made inroads into retaking the spot on Sunday. "It is great to be competitive again and to stay that way right to the end of the race," Stoner said after finishing second from a front row grid spot in Portugal.
"I maybe could have been faster over the opening few laps but I made a little mistake which caused my foot to slip off the peg; it broke the footrest support and it was moving around in all the right-handers, so my foot was slipping off. As the laps went by I was able to alter the footpeg position a little but I wasn't able to go any faster."
Casey admitted that winner Jorge Lorenzo was uncatchable on this occasion but is still pleased with his own performance. "I'm happy for the team because it has also been a difficult period for them," he continued on a day when Yamaha confirmed the 2009 Teams' title. "My relationship with Ducati, built over the past three years, has always been strong and solid.
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"Now I'll try and start training a little before the next race because, over the last few months, my physical condition has suffered and I need to try and get some muscle back; the target for the next few races is for myself and the team to prepare as well as we can for next season."
The next encounter will see Stoner return home to Australia for the annual visit to Phillip Island on 18 October.
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