Rossi takes 90th victory and World Championship lead with runaway Le Mans triumph
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Valentino Rossi took a second consecutive race victory at the Alice Grand Prix de France, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Colin Edwards.
Valentino Rossi took a runaway triumph at the Alice Grand Prix de France, equalling Angel Nieto´s record of 90 World Championship wins with a superb solo run.
In a selfless display, Rossi shared the limelight with the MotoGP Legend, asking Nieto to take him on a parade lap onboard the Yamaha M1. Aside from equalling the historic milestone, the win also allowed the five-time MotoGP World Champion to assume the leadership of the overall standings for the first time this season.
Whilst second row starter Rossi had broken away from the pack early, the battle for the podium was closely contested right up to the line. The Italian´s Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo once again took his share of the limelight, bursting through the field to take second place in spite of a catalogue of injuries. His latest rostrum means that he is now the highest rookie point scorer from an opening five races in history, overtaking hero Max Biaggi.
Completing the all-Yamaha podium, Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards took another rostrum finish not quite in line with his predictions of victory, but nonetheless a fantastic achievement for the newly consistent American.
Poleman Dani Pedrosa relinquished his lead of the World Championship with fourth place, having attempted to lead the race from the front. Some hard moves from both Lorenzo and Edwards at the end of the Le Mans battle left the Repsol Honda rider off the podium for the first time in 2008.
On lap fifteen the activity picked up in pit lane, as the white flags shown on trackside provoked the uncovering of the second bikes. The option was open for the premier class riders to make a switch, but few took up the offer. Last year´s race winner Chris Vermeulen elected to stay out, and trailed Pedrosa for fifth, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, Loris Capirossi and Nicky Hayden.
Shinya Nakano and home rider Randy de Puniet completed the top ten on their respective San Carlo Honda Gresini and LCR Honda satellite RC212Vs, whilst there were crashes for Tech 3 Yamaha´s James Toseland and Kawasaki man John Hopkins.
Deserving of credit for his performance was 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner, despite the fact that he finished in last place. The Australian had been fighting for the podium until the twentieth lap, and pushed his Ducati Desmosedici GP8 nearly the entire length of the track to switch machines after it broke down. His teammate Marco Melandri was the only other rider to switch machines during the r
Rossi now leads the World Championship by three points from Lorenzo and Pedrosa, level on points in second.
World Championship
MotoGP
Pos. Rider Nation Team Points
1 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 97
2 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 94
3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team 94
4 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 56
5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha 47
6 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 42
7 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team 37
8 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP 36
9 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha 33
10 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini 28
11 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team 26
12 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 25
13 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 24
14 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team 20
15 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 18
16 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini 11
17 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team 7
18 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team 5
ALICE GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE
MotoGP Race Classification
MotoGP
Pos. Rider Nation Team Total time
1 V. ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 44′30.799
2 J. LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team + 4.997
3 C. EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha + 6.805
4 D. PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team + 10.157
5 C. VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 21.762
6 A. DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP + 22.395
7 L. CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP + 27.806
8 N. HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team + 27.995
9 R. DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP + 29.344
10 S. NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini + 30.822
11 T. ELIAS SPA Alice Team + 35.154
12 A. DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini + 36.216
13 S. GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team + 52.038
14 A. WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team + 1′29.307
15 M. MELANDRI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1 Lap
16 C. STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 2 Lap
Not classified
J. HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team 12 Lap
J. TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha 26 Lap
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