MOTORCYCLING Live

- STONER WINS!! The champion stamps his authority over 2008 with a brilliant performance. Dovizoso sneaks into fourth but can he make it stick? YES! Now Toseland has a go at Rossi but can't make it! What a finish.

22/22 Last lap! All about the battle for fourth now and Dovizioso has a rash go at Rossi, who slams the door.

21/22 Stoner is bossing this race and it is an ominous warning for the rest of the field. Ducati are still streets ahead on this evidence.

20/22 Three laps to go and Rossi continues to hold off Dovizioso - or does he? Dovizioso goes through!! Rossi down to fifth and now Toseland looks to go past him. BUT ROSSI RESPONDS!! He goes back past Dovizioso - life in the old dog yet.

19/22 That De Angelis exit menas Melandri is up to 12th - but considering he is Stoner's team-mate he won't be jumping up and down as a result.

18/22 Nearly two seconds for Stoner now. The top three are settled. It's now all about whether Toseland can make a move for fourth or fifth. De Angelis is out after a big spill. He is OK, thankfully.

17/22 Stoner and Lorenzo look nailed on for first and second, while Pedrosa is easing away from Rossi. Dovizioso and Toseland are now lining up the great Italian.

16/22 Stoner leads by over a second from Lorenzo while third-placed Pedrosa has put a few bike lengths between himself and Valentino Rossi.

15/22 The track temperature has dropped two degrees over the course of the race, which could be a problem for Toseland who has opted for a harder front tyre. Meanwhile Stoner looks to have made a decisive break.

15/22 Stoner has set the fastest lap of the race and looks like he will take some catching. He has three quarters of a second on Lorenzo and they are three seconds ahead of third-placed Rossi.

14/22 Toseland is now within a tenth of a second of Dovizioso. Fifth is probably the highest the Briton could finish but it looks on!

13/22 That Vermeulen problem could be a concern for the other Bridgestone runners - notably Stoner and Rossi. Vermeulen is back out on fresh rubber but he can forget about a points finish.

12/22 Vermeulen is in the pits - his Suzuki is history. His tyres completely shredded.

11/22 Stoner and Lorenzo lead the way, and have opened a mini-gap ahead of Rossi and Pedrosa. They are then followed by Dovisioso, Toseland and Edwards in a little bunch.

10/22 Lorenzo pushes Rossi wide and nudges into second place! Toseland is hanging in there on sixth and has fifth-placed Dovizioso in his sights!

9/22 Stoner backs it into turn one and is in front of Rossi! He leads the race! The champion leads.

8/22 Pedrosa touches farings with Stoner but is forced to give way and drops to fourth. Stoner is hanging it all out going sideways. A wonderful spectacle under lights. And now Stoner is into second!

7/22 Rossi hits the front but they are now three abreast going into te first corner. Rossi-Stoner-Lorenzo. What a race! Toseland has come adrift from the leading group in sixth.

6/22 Here's Valentino Rossi!! If you were foolish enough to count him out, think again! The five-time world champion is allo over the back of Pedrosa and challenging for the lead. Brilliant stuff.

5/22 How is Dani Pedrosa doing this? He still has a plate in his hand and has been well off the pace all weekend! Amazing.

4/22 Toseland drops another place as Stoner uses the sheer power of the Ducati to muscle past. The Briton in fifth now.

3/22 Toseland is losing ground hand over fist down the straight - he is overtaken by Lorenzo and Rossi but somehow holds off Stoner! Pedrosa's lead is over a second.

2/22 Through they go with Pedrosa leading with a small gap, then the three Yamahas of Lorenzo, Toseland and Edwards!

1/22 GOOOOOO!!! What a start by Dani Pedrosa!! He leads from Colin Edwards and James Toseland!

20:00 The grid forms - the 2008 season is just seconds away!

19:58 The warm-up lap is under way - Jorge Lorenzo leads them around this 5.4km Losail Circuit.

19:56 Five minutes to race time and the tension is palpable around this magnificent floodlit arena.

19:49 Grid: 1-Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha); 2-James Toseland (Tech 3 Yamaha); 3-Colin Edwards (Tech 3 Yamaha); 4-Casey Stoner (Marlboro Ducati); 5-Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda); 6-Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda); 7-Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha); 8-Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda); 9-Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot Honda); 10-John Hopkins (Kawasaki Racing).

19:47 Just under 15 minutes to race time, and James Toseland kneels on the track with complete tunnel vision. Amazing focus from the British debutant.

- 250cc: Mattia Pasini has taken a suprise win in the 250 race, storming to the front on the final lap to take victory ahead of Alvaro Bautista and Mika Kallio. Ireland's Eugene Laverty failed to complete the first lap.

- 125cc: Disappointment for Bradley Smith, who started from pole but missed out on the points after suffering engine trouble. Sergio Gadea wins from Joan Olive and Stefan Bradl, with 15-year-old Brit Scott Redding fifth and Danny Webb sixth.

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