MotoGP
A three-way struggle for supremacy between standings leader Casey Stoner, rising star Jorge Lorenzo and champion Valentino Rossi will make the weekend’s Catalan Moto GP an electrifying race.
The Barcelona event is the sixth of 17 races this season, which is turning out to be an ultra-tight struggle between 2007 champion Stoner, the Mallorcan youngster Lorenzo and superstar Rossi, with just nine points dividing the three atop the overall standings.
Stoner ended Rossi’s run of seven victories in Italy last time out, and while the fiery Italian fumed at his team for insisting he used hard tyres, the Australian was calmly looking ahead to Catalunya.
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The often flashy Lorenzo also had his feet on the ground. He missed the race last season thanks to a fall during the Friday practice, and the Spaniard knows a win at Barcelona would put him top of the standings. Straits Times
But the 23-year-old, who won at the track in his world championship-winning year of 2007, and who finished third last year, was low key when talking about his chances.
“Being leader of the championship at this stage means absolutely nothing,” Stoner said.
“My rivals are very clever, mature and capable of winning races, so we have to stay focused, do our best to be competing for the top step of the podium again. And if that’s not possible then make sure we are bringing home the maximum number of points.”
Fellow Spaniard and 2008 Catalunya race winner Dani Pedrosa has been fighting to race in Barcelona after a heavy crash at Mugello. The Repsol Honda rider was only cleared by doctors to race on Thursday.
“I didn’t want to miss this important date for anything in the world,” Pedrosa said.
Pedrosa’s teammate, Andrea Dovizioso, who is just one point behind the Spaniard in the championship, in fifth spot, will be searching for his first podium finish of the year following two fourth places in the past two races. Fox Sports
Pos. Rider Team Points 1 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 90 2 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 86 3 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 81 4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 57 5 Andrea DoviziosoRepsol Honda Team 56 6 Marco Melandri Hayate Racing Team 48 7 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 45 8 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 38 9 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 37 10 Randy De Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 34 11 James Toseland Monster Yamaha Tech 3 26 12 Toni Elias San Carlo Honda Gresini 23 13 Alex De Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 21 14 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing 19 15 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 13 16 Niccolo Canepa Pramac Racing 10 17 Sete Gibernau Grupo Francisco Hernando8 18 Yuki Takahashi Scot Racing Team MotoGP 8
