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MISANO, Italy - Reigning World Motorcycling champion Jorge Lorenzo won the San Marino MotoGP here on Sunday on a Yamaha to narrow the gap on series leader Casey Stoner.
The 24-year-old Spaniard came home clear of compatriot Dani Pedrosa (Honda) and series leader Australian Casey Stoner (Honda), who started from pole, was third.
GRACIOUS STONER
Lorenzo celebrated by hurdling the barrier between him and his mechanics to be caught in their arms. He reduced the gap between him and Stoner to 35 points.
Stoner was gracious in defeat but, worryingly, his reasons for losing suggested that he might be falling victim to a mystery illness he has had before when he complained of feeling weary.
"There is no excuse - everything felt really good, including the bike," the 25-year-old said who was World champion in 2007. "I didn't want to push too hard in the rain at the start and was content to sit in behind Lorenzo.
"I felt comfortable then made an attack but when I tried to go for it I felt tired, my arms especially. I was worn out. No excuses - I am just worn out after the last three races (two of them in America)."
Lorenzo was ecstatic to be back on the top step of the podium. "I really needed this victory - the last two races were nightmares - so to be back with a really good bike is great," said Lorenzo.
'NOT WHAT I WANTED'
It was another outstanding result for Pedrosa since his comeback from a broken right collarbone sustained in the French MotoGP in May. The injury made him miss three races and cost him any chance of winning the 2011 World title.
"This race was really tough - a very demanding circuit. The bike was not like what I wanted," said the 25-year-old. "I couldn't push it but I could at least catch Casey towards the end."
Lorenzo led Stoner by nearly four seconds with nine laps remaining while Pedrosa was in third. Pedrosa, however, paid no respect to the series leader and, clearly with no team orders, passed the Australian with five laps remaining.
Marco Simoncelli, Ben Spies and Andrea Dovizioso were involved in a battle for fourth spot.
THRILLING DUEL
Stoner kept on losing time to Lorenzo and was seven seconds back with four laps left, conserving his place and so preventing the Spaniard from gaining any more points on him.
Simoncelli had a thrilling duel with compatriot Dovizioso. The latter went past with just over a lap to go but Simoncelli refused to let it go and reclaimed his fourth spot almost immediately to prevail by 0.037sec.
Veteran Loris Capirossi failed to get a fairy-tale result just days after announcing he was retiring at the end of the season as the 38-year-old Italian who has competed at GP level in all categories since 1990 failed to finish. - AFP
San Marino MotoGP results
MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP) Yamaha 44min11.877
2 Dani Pedrosa (ESP) Honda +7.299
3 Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda +11.967
4 Marco Simoncelli (ITA) Honda +17.353
5 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Honda +17.390
6 Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha +18.092
7 Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati +23.703
8 Alvaro Bautista (ESP) Suzuki +30.678
9 Hector Barbera (ESP) Ducati +37.502
10 Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha +37.720
11 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Honda +39.548
12 Karel Abraham (CZE) Ducati +40.506
13 Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha +53.349
14 Randy de Puniet (FRA) Ducati +1min 02.366
15 Toni Elias (ESP/Honda) +1:20.156
Did not finish: Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati
Points standings
1 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 259
2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 224
3 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 185
4 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda150
5 Ben Spies (U.S.) Yamaha 135
6 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati 133
7 Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 105
8 Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Honda 93
9 Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha 87
10 Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) Honda 82
11 Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati 69
12 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Suzuki 57
13 Karel Abraham (Czech Republic) Ducati 50
14 Toni Elias (Spain) Honda 47
15 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 45
Moto2
1 Marc Marquez (ESP) Suter 43min08.197
2 Stefan Bradl (GER) Kalex +0.619
3 Andrea Iannone (ITA) Suter +0.713
4 Alex De Angelis (SMR) Motobi +1.634
5 Scott Redding (GBR) Suter +3.275
6 Bradley Smith (GBR) Tech3 +3.436
125cc
1 Nicolas Terol (ESP) Aprilia 40min02.164
2 Johann Zarco (FRA) Aprilia at +0.022
3 Efren Vazquez (ESP) Derbi +4.932
4 Sandro Cortese (GER) Aprilia +9.322
5 Hector Faubel (ESP) Aprilia +9.964
The 24-year-old Spaniard came home clear of compatriot Dani Pedrosa (Honda) and series leader Australian Casey Stoner (Honda), who started from pole, was third.
GRACIOUS STONER
Lorenzo celebrated by hurdling the barrier between him and his mechanics to be caught in their arms. He reduced the gap between him and Stoner to 35 points.
Stoner was gracious in defeat but, worryingly, his reasons for losing suggested that he might be falling victim to a mystery illness he has had before when he complained of feeling weary.
"There is no excuse - everything felt really good, including the bike," the 25-year-old said who was World champion in 2007. "I didn't want to push too hard in the rain at the start and was content to sit in behind Lorenzo.
"I felt comfortable then made an attack but when I tried to go for it I felt tired, my arms especially. I was worn out. No excuses - I am just worn out after the last three races (two of them in America)."
Lorenzo was ecstatic to be back on the top step of the podium. "I really needed this victory - the last two races were nightmares - so to be back with a really good bike is great," said Lorenzo.
'NOT WHAT I WANTED'
It was another outstanding result for Pedrosa since his comeback from a broken right collarbone sustained in the French MotoGP in May. The injury made him miss three races and cost him any chance of winning the 2011 World title.
"This race was really tough - a very demanding circuit. The bike was not like what I wanted," said the 25-year-old. "I couldn't push it but I could at least catch Casey towards the end."
Lorenzo led Stoner by nearly four seconds with nine laps remaining while Pedrosa was in third. Pedrosa, however, paid no respect to the series leader and, clearly with no team orders, passed the Australian with five laps remaining.
Marco Simoncelli, Ben Spies and Andrea Dovizioso were involved in a battle for fourth spot.
THRILLING DUEL
Stoner kept on losing time to Lorenzo and was seven seconds back with four laps left, conserving his place and so preventing the Spaniard from gaining any more points on him.
Simoncelli had a thrilling duel with compatriot Dovizioso. The latter went past with just over a lap to go but Simoncelli refused to let it go and reclaimed his fourth spot almost immediately to prevail by 0.037sec.
Veteran Loris Capirossi failed to get a fairy-tale result just days after announcing he was retiring at the end of the season as the 38-year-old Italian who has competed at GP level in all categories since 1990 failed to finish. - AFP
San Marino MotoGP results
MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (ESP) Yamaha 44min11.877
2 Dani Pedrosa (ESP) Honda +7.299
3 Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda +11.967
4 Marco Simoncelli (ITA) Honda +17.353
5 Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Honda +17.390
6 Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha +18.092
7 Valentino Rossi (ITA) Ducati +23.703
8 Alvaro Bautista (ESP) Suzuki +30.678
9 Hector Barbera (ESP) Ducati +37.502
10 Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha +37.720
11 Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Honda +39.548
12 Karel Abraham (CZE) Ducati +40.506
13 Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha +53.349
14 Randy de Puniet (FRA) Ducati +1min 02.366
15 Toni Elias (ESP/Honda) +1:20.156
Did not finish: Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati
Points standings
1 Casey Stoner (Australia) Honda 259
2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 224
3 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 185
4 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda150
5 Ben Spies (U.S.) Yamaha 135
6 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Ducati 133
7 Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Ducati 105
8 Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Honda 93
9 Colin Edwards (U.S.) Yamaha 87
10 Hiroshi Aoyama (Japan) Honda 82
11 Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati 69
12 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Suzuki 57
13 Karel Abraham (Czech Republic) Ducati 50
14 Toni Elias (Spain) Honda 47
15 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha 45
Moto2
1 Marc Marquez (ESP) Suter 43min08.197
2 Stefan Bradl (GER) Kalex +0.619
3 Andrea Iannone (ITA) Suter +0.713
4 Alex De Angelis (SMR) Motobi +1.634
5 Scott Redding (GBR) Suter +3.275
6 Bradley Smith (GBR) Tech3 +3.436
125cc
1 Nicolas Terol (ESP) Aprilia 40min02.164
2 Johann Zarco (FRA) Aprilia at +0.022
3 Efren Vazquez (ESP) Derbi +4.932
4 Sandro Cortese (GER) Aprilia +9.322
5 Hector Faubel (ESP) Aprilia +9.964
