Daily Update MotoGP

hampionship leader Valentino Rossi delighted his home crowd by taking victory at Misano as reigning champion Casey Stoner crashed out once more from the race lead.

It was a perfect day for the Italian as he matched Giacomo Agostini's legendary record of 68 victories in the top class. His Fiat Yamaha team had also plenty to celebrate thanks to rookie Jorge Lorenzo finishing in second place.

Ducati Marlboro's Stoner, who also crashed from the lead in Brno, looked set to storm through the race after leading every session this weekend, making the perfect start from pole position and taking advantage of Dani Pedrosa's Repsol Honda slotting between himself and Rossi at the first corner.

Rossi managed to take second place back from the Spaniard on lap two, but by the beginning of the third lap the gap to Stoner was already three seconds.

That gap remained steady as the two exchanged fastest laps, but on lap eight the Australian crashed and allowed Rossi to take the a comfortable lead, as the Italian was already three seconds ahead of Lorenzo.

The works Yamaha riders carried on unchallenged for the rest of the race, while behind them Alice Ducati's Toni Elias overtook Pedrosa and went on to score his second consecutive podium of what had until recently been a difficult year for him.

Pedrosa finished the race in fourth place, ahead of the Rizla Suzukis of Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi, which sandwiched in between James Toseland's Tech 3 Yamaha.

JiR Honda's Andrea Dovizioso classified eighth, followed by the works Ducati of Marco Melandri and Colin Edwards's other customer Yamaha.

Randy de Puniet crashed his LCR Honda at the last corner of the first lap, while Alex de Angelis retired his Honda Gresini two laps later.

Pos Rider Bike Time
1. Valentino Rossi Yamaha (B) 44:41.884
2. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha (M) + 3.163
3. Toni Elias Ducati (B) + 11.705
4. Dani Pedrosa Honda (M) + 17.470
5. Chris Vermeulen Suzuki (B) + 23.409
6. James Toseland Yamaha (M) + 26.208
7. Loris Capirossi Suzuki (B) + 26.824
8. Andrea Dovizioso Honda (M) + 27.591
9. Marco Melandri Ducati (B) + 33.169
10. Colin Edwards Yamaha (M) + 36.529
11. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati (B) + 42.081
12. Shinya Nakano Honda (B) + 43.808
13. Anthony West Kawasaki (B) + 54.874
14. John Hopkins Kawasaki (B) + 55.154
ref[AS]