This was the contest that MotoGP had been waiting for. A Gladiatorial fight between the two best riders’ in the world and it finally happened at the Red Bull U.S Grand Prix at the iconic Laguna Seca circuit this afternoon when Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner went head to head in a fearsome fight.
Throughout practice and qualifying Stoner and the Marlboro Ducati had the pace and Rossi knew if he had any chance in the 32 lap encounter round the 2.243 mile Californian track he had to upset the rhythm of the Australian World Champion.
The seven times World Champion did just that and would not let Stoner, who won the last three grands prix, settle in the lead. On just one lap they swapped the lead three times with Rossi getting the Fiat Yamaha into the gravel at the scary Corkscrew corner but somehow staying on – a crash would have brought both riders down.
Time after time Stoner drew alongside but Rossi would just not budge. Once Stoner took the lead at the Andretti hairpin but then ran wide and Rossi was back in front. Something had to give and it was Stoner who cracked and slid off at turn 11 coming into the start and finish straight. He remounted the Ducati but Rossi had escaped and the contest was over.
Australian Chris Vermeulen took his second podium finish in seven days, securing a lonely third place on the Rizla Suzuki with Andrea Dovizioso fighting off double Laguna winner Nicky Hayden for fourth. Jorge Lorenzo broke a bone in his left foot when he crashed on the first lap.
When the dust settled Stoner claimed he was not 100 per cent happy with a couple of Rossi’s overtaking manoeuvres. Rossi goes in the summer break with a 25 point lead over the current World Champion but the real winner this afternoon was the MotoGP World Championship.
Tough Talking from ToselandAn excellent start marked the beginning of James Toseland’s first MotoGP race at Laguna Seca. The Yorkshireman seized fourth position going into turn one, behind eventual race winner Valentino Rossi, from fifth place on the grid. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider then settled into seventh position for the majority of the 32-lap race in sunny conditions.
Despite a prolonged battle with the more experienced Shinya Nakano, Toseland was able to retain his advantage over the Japanese rider. However, as the chequered flag neared, tyre issues meant that Toseland was unable to push hard to retain seventh place. He was passed by Toni Elias and then AMA Superbike contender Ben Spies before finally claiming ninth place.
It was a positive outcome for Toseland who has shown dogged determination in his perseverance in what has been a difficult weekend. A lack of suitable Michelin tyres forced the Tech 3 Yamaha team to work even harder than usual and he was grateful for the support that he has received.
“We knew that today was going to be difficult on race tyres, but the team has been great, we’ve all been working hard and I gave it my all out on track,” said Toseland. “I got a really good start, which is what I needed and for a while the guys at the front dragged me along, but towards the end I was having problems with my rear tyre and I couldn’t push any harder.
“Overall, I’m pleased with today’s race as we’ve gained a lot of positives, but it is difficult to swallow when things are out of your hands and you know you’re capable of achieving more. It has been tough and we have had a few problems behind the scenes, but now is the time to get it together so that we come back much stronger after the summer break. I feel like I’ve been riding round rather than racing and that’s not what I’m here to do.
“We know what we have to do and we’re all committed to putting the work in. I’m looking forward to Brno now, which is another track that I know, to try and show some true potential.”
Race Results:1. Valentino ROSSI - ITA - YAMAHA 44'04.311
2. Casey STONER - AUS - DUCATI 44'17.312
3. Chris VERMEULEN - AUS - SUZUKI 44'30.920
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO - ITA - HONDA 44'39.212
5. Nicky HAYDEN - USA - HONDA 44'39.974
6. Randy DE PUNIET - FRA - HONDA 44'41.979
7. Toni ELIAS - SPA - DUCATI 44'45.940
8. Ben SPIES - USA - SUZUKI 44'46.238
Championship Positions:1. ROSSI Valentino 212
2. STONER Casey 187
3. PEDROSA Dani 171
4. LORENZO Jorge 114
5. DOVIZIOSO Andrea 103
6. EDWARDS Colin 100
7. VERMEULEN Chris 89
8. HAYDEN Nicky 84
