August 16, 2009

Italy's Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha won the Czech Grand Prix meeting to extend his overall championship lead and move a big step closer to clinching a ninth world title.

After a thrilling head-to-head duel with Spanish stablemate Jorge Lorenzo, Rossi profited from the latter's fall five laps from the finish to extend his lead to 50 points going into the final seven races, starting with Indianapolis on August 30.

Lorenzo had passed Rossi three laps earlier but his spectacular tumble - from which he emerged unscathed although he angrily threw his gloves down and kicked out at his machine - handed Rossi a clear run through to the finish and a 102nd career victory.

The 30-year-old Rossi, nicknamed The Doctor, is now closing in on Giacomo Agostini's all-time mark of 122 race wins.

After crossing the line exuberantly on one wheel in 43min 08.991sec he leapt over the barrier to celebrate with his crew, warmly embracing them in turn.

Afterwards, he had time to offer a word of sympathy to Lorenzo - while insisting that he could not think of putting yet more title champagne on ice.

"It's really a shame for Jorge," said the Italian, noting that, despite his handsome lead "there's a long way to go. I have to stay focused."

Dani Pedrosa of Honda placed second 11.766ec adrift of Rossi while fellow Honda rider Toni Elias, who predicted a tough future despite his first season podium as he is looking for a new team for 2010, completed the podium.

Rossi, Lorenzo and Pedrosa shot out of the blocks and had put more than 2sec between themselves and the chasing pack led by Elias.

Rossi, who had gone into the race on pole for the 56th time, was furiously jousting for the lead with Lorenzo with the Italian just in the ascendency as the Yamaha pair left the rest trailing with Pedrosa third at 2.6 sec and the gap then 9sec on Elias and company.

The 14th lap saw Lorenzo make his all-or-bust move for the lead as he set the fastest lap time of 1:56.674, a time he then bettered by 0.004sec on lap 16 before nipping through the gap into the lead.

But his 18th-lap fall brought his brave challenge to naught as Rossi stayed doggedly with him before his rival's misfortune allowed him to breeze home in the knowledge that Pedrosa was trailing by a huge 14.772sec.

There was further drama in the penultimate lap when Finland's Mika Kallio ran into the back of Italian Marco Melandri, dragging both men down although neither appeared to have suffered injury.

Italy's Marco Simoncelli of Gilera won the 250cc race as the world champion beat out compatriot Mattia Pasini with Spain's Alvaro Bautista taking third place.

The win means the Italian can still retain legitimate hope of overhauling Honda's Hiroshi Aoyama, who currently leads the standings with 172 points to Aprilia racer Alvaro Bautista's 160 and 140 for Simoncelli, who now has three wins this campaign and won off pole Sunday.

Pasini missed out at the death after coming through from seventh on the grid to give Simoncelli a fine run for his money.

Nicolas Terol of Spain won the 125cc race at the Czech Grand Prix meeting ahead of compatriot Julian Simon and Andrea Iannone of Italy.

Terol grabbed the lead from the start and was never headed after that as he recorded his first win of the year.

Czech Grand Prix Results

1. Valentino Rossi, (ITA), Yamaha, 43:08.991
2. Dani Pedrosa, (ESP), Honda, 43:20.757.
3. Toni Elias, (ESP), Honda, 43:29.747.
4. Andrea Dovizioso, (ITA), Honda, 43:30.409.
5. Loris Capirossi, (ITA), Suzuki, 43:30.529.
6. Nicky Hayden, (USA), Ducati, 43:34.535.
7. Colin Edwards, (USA), Yamaha, 43:34.667.
8. Alex De Angelis, (SMR), Honda, 43:43.100.
9. James Toseland, (GBR), Yamaha, 43:44.608.
10. Randy De Puniet, (FRA), Honda, 43:48.815.