Eurosport - Mon, 17 Aug 07:42:00 2009
Italy's Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha won the Czech MotoGP at Brno 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 is now closing in on Giacomo Agostini's all-time mark of 122 race wins.
After crossing the line exuberantly on one wheel in 43 minutes 08.991 seconds 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 11.766sec 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 here on Sunday 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.
Comment 76 - 95 of 95
The same thing happened to Ferrari , when they we dominating F1 , those morons and dumbs said that's all LUCK , How come you stupid dry heads saying Rossi is lucky? Sete , Stoner
Chris,
Relax and take a deep breath, son ! Sorry my post got you so mugged off. Your small mind is too predictable. Please give everyone a break, son, and stop posting your trash on these forums. Like we don't get enough of the "follow the leader" type mentality from the herd of Rossi puppets already. Your feeble attempts to prove your knowledge of motogp, in your typical village idiot style, only offend true racing fans. Also, if you must remain in these forums, please learn how to spell. Have a nice day , mate !
I ain't on this thing to impress you son, didn't know that this was YOUR forum?! My bad, please accept my apology- you bell-end. I didn't say I was an expert- i did however say that my comments are my opinions, including the ones directed at you. Sounds like you are the one trying to impose your views on others not me son. You are obviously a little boy with little else to do except @#$% about the good things in life (not out of pubity yet huh?? Aww you'll soon grow up x) - just keep it moving son, grow a couple- and we'll talk in about 10 years, until then eff off- im blind to your views from now on- G'day to you
Chris,
You limp-minded bafoon. Try to mug you off ? I've already done that or you would not have responded in such a hostile way. Relax and take a deep breath, mate. Yes, you are like all the rest of the sheeplike followers of Rossi, unable to form an original thought if your life depended on it. So you've followed MotoGP for 13 years ? Am I supposed to be impressed ? This makes you an expert ? Sorry, not. Stop posting your trash on these forums. It dumbs everybody down. G'day, mate.
Kaveiros77,
Don't try and mug me off, my comments are based on my opinions- you might agree with them or disagree- that will be your views, but don't start throwing insults at me. Just because 'im' a Rossi fan doesn't mean 'im' brainwashed or whatever else you are trying say. I've been following motogp for 13years and have enjoyed watching Rossi for most of that time- my comments on this article are only in reaction to the 'lucky' badge you and others have labelled him with. Rossi is obviouly a high profile rider- and is likley to be counted and highlighted for every little thing which is judged to be lucky- if rossi pulled off the skill that dovi did on sunday you and others would be doing your nut, but hardly anybody has commented about dovi's great save- point proven.
P.S. Maverick 88, i can think of another word that begins with "F" to put in front of Rossi:)
Rossi has wrapped up the season and fair play to the guy but to not acknowledge the fact that he's on the best bike with the best crew chief in the best team and then criticise Stoner for winning his championship with the best bike/tyre combo, its simply blind one track minded brain washed piffle Tim and Chris! I'd also like to point out that Vale is racing a hell of alot longer than his main rivals and when they get to his age, then you can talk about how many titles this guy or that guy has. Julie J, can i ask whats wrong with an aussie supporting his own?! The british do it all the time, every country does!
Rossi is the master he has more or less wrapped up this season. He could start to sit back and take 2nd 3rd places but i really doubt you will see that in any race he rides in. Like him or not nobody can take away from him his incredible ability to win races and tittles. Considering there are 4 to 5 riders with a bike capable to match his somehow he continually comes through. I reckon Stoner has the best bike and the year he won the tittle it was more up to the bike than anything else. Lorenzo has really helped make this season the sports spectacle of the year. Imagine a race with Rossi Lorenzo Pedrosa Stoner all hitting form with bikes set up correctly.
To describe Rossi as a clown is totally disrespectful he will be missed when he retires
BrendanC , that's all bout wisdom , FORZA ROSSI
I second that opinion, kav.
Hey, julie j, tell us what you know about the history of racing, won't you ? Or even racing in general. By the way, I think Chris is a big boy and he should be able to defend himself. Cheers.
Julie J,
What do you know ? You're a woman. What are you doing on these forums ? You belong on a cooking forum or homemaking forum, don't you ? Go ride some horses or something, cowgirl. G'day.
sorry kaveiros77, but chris is right, perhaps you ought to sit back over the winter and look at the results!
Its so easy to use bad language and insult people, and most often written by people who have no clue about racing or the history of racing.
on the other hand you could be australian, in that case you will always say that stoner is best regardless of the results...
jules
chris,
Who are you, mate ? You go on and on about things you clearly don't understand and try to make yourself and others beleive this @#$% ? Did they remove your brain at birth ? Much like your backwards, follow the leader pro-Rossi peer group, you fail to comprehend any other viewpoint besides your own. What a pity. G'day.
When we are debating like this I always refer back to the acheivments of the riders and make the comparisons. Rossi 8 titles, Stoner 1!?!?, Dani 3, Lorenzo 2- these are the top 4 racers today. Lets make one thing clear- Rossi stands alone and only history will tell if his records will beaten- but im sure that it will not be any of the these guys. He has made this sport what it is today and ALL the above mentioned riders aspire to become what he is, which is the best of all time, regardless of what they say as you can clearly see it in their body language. Stoner is fast but i just cant help feeling that he won in 2007 because he had a bike and tyre combination that was miles better than anything else out there, for me one of the most dominant bikes there has ever been in the sport and all he had to do was stay on the thing and finish which he did. Lorenzo pushes beyond his limits which is why he is behind in the championship. Dani- well, he came in 2006 and it is now 2009 and it is unlikely he'll have a championship in the next few years. Rossi has had a glorious career and has done EVERYTHING, but he still wants to be the best- he's in his 30's and is still playing with these young guys- wow. Anything he has done especially since coming to Yamaha- he has earned through hard work and development aided by his crew. Lorenzo has benefited from this. At the end of the day they are all good but Rossi is better case closed.
Oh and Vale or dani or Jorge don't have TC? Come on Benji M, wake up! There isn't a man in this world that could ride a motorcycle with 230BHP going through a back tyre that has the surface area of a credit card in contact with the ground at full tilt like these guys do!!! Stoner's TC settings are widely known to be 2yrs old, as in he uses very little of the stuff. There's only one bike in the paddock that doesnt ever get outta shape coming out of corners and there's 4 different riders on it. Looks to me like Yamaha's system is so good, the uneducated amongst ye think they don't have one!
The only reason Stoner kept on crashing in his first year, is because he was on a Honda! :-)
The only reason Stoner kept on crashing in his first year, is because he was on a Honda! :-)
the only reason stoner stopped crashing is because they put on traction control. If it comes off next year, and it should, he'll be hitting the deck again.
Didislalo,
You clown. Please dispense with the short-sided backwards comments and adjust your attitude. There are far too many of your kind in racing.
kaveiros75,
Your elitist views amaze me. Stop posting your trash on these forums and go get a life, mate.
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