Reigning MotoGP champion Casey Stoner claimed his second win in six days with victory at the Dutch TT in Assen as James Toseland recovered from last week’s debacle to finish ninth. After topping the podium at Donington last week, Australian Stoner claimed his third win of the season in Holland to cut the gap at the top of the championship standings from 45 to 29 points. The Ducati Marlboro rider finished ahead of Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, who moved to the top of the standings over Valentino Rossi after the Italian finished the day in 11th place due to a crash in the opening lap. Pedrosa got off to a storming start from second on the grid when he beat Stoner into the first bend.

Nel GP d’Olanda trionfo dell’australiano della Ducati Casey Stoner che domina davanti allo spagnolo ora in testa grazie anche alla caduta di Valentino (11°) dopo due curve. Edwards terzo davanti ad Hayden.

Casey Stoner claimed a crushing victory in the British MotoGP at Donington Park while James Toseland suffered his fourth fall in two days.Stoner, who started on pole for only the second time this season, crossed the line ahead of championship leader Valentino Rossi. The Italian’s nearest rival, Dani Pedrosa of Spain, climbed from ninth on the grid to finish third. The Australian, riding a Ducati, never looked in danger of surrendering his advantage and finished 5.789 seconds ahead of Rossi to take his first chequered flag since the season opener in Qatar.

Casey Stoner non ha dato scampo ai suoi rivali nel Gran Premio di Gran Bretagna, classe MotoGP. L’australiano è partito dalla pole senza che nessuno andasse a riprenderlo. Alla fine è stato trionfo in solitaria, davanti a Valentino Rossi e Daniel Pedrosa. Bravo anche Andrea Dovizioso, quinto.

Dani Pedrosa took his second MotoGP victory of the 2008 season - and maintained his perfect home Spanish record - by slaughtering his rivals during the Catalan Grand Prix. A classic Pedrosa victory saw the Repsol Honda rider snatch the lead at turn one, then set off like a rocket to build a two second lead over pole sitter Casey Stoner by lap two of 25. Whilst his rivals squabbled, Pedrosa simply disappeared into the distance.

Pedrosa primo, Rossi secondo. Questa, la classifica del GP di Catalunya. A parti invertite, la situazione nel mondiale, con 7 punti a dividerli. Ci sono buoni motivi per tutti, o quasi, dunque, per sorridere.

Valentino Rossi escaped from the pack to claim his magnificent seventh consecutive home Mugello victory in dominant style in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. Rossi, riding under bright sunshine and in front of almost 100,000 trackside fans, got a bad start from pole position an was only fourth through the first sequence of corners, behind Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi. But The Doctor worked his way clinically forwards, passing Capirossi’s Suzuki on the opening lap and immediately closing the slight gap to his title rivals. Stoner’s powerful Ducati got the better of Pedrosa along the home straight on lap 2 of 23, with Rossi dropping the Repsol Honda rider back to third later on the same lap. The Fiat Yamaha star then took the race lead from Stoner with a clever inside move through a downhill turn and the face painted on the top of Rossi’s special Mugello helmet never looked back.

Come se corresse nel cortile di casa. Pole e vittoria, la settima consecutiva su questa pista. Valentino Rossi ha domato per l’ennesima volta il Mugello e i suoi rivali, e così ha allungato ancora in testa al Mondiale MotoGP. E’ lui l’uomo del giorno al GP d’Italia. E con lui, che ha messo in fila Casey Stoner (Ducati) e Daniel Pedrosa (Honda), va celebrato anche un grande Alex De Angelis, quarto sul traguardo con la Honda del team Gresini. Il tutto dopo una rimonta strepitosa dopo una partenza poco felice.

Valentino Rossi fought from fourth on the grid to win the French MotoGP at Le Mans by almost five seconds from Fiat Yamaha team-mate and rookie sensation Jorge Lorenzo, who began in fifth. Briton James Toseland of Yamaha Tech 3 retired only two laps in while his team-mate Colin Edwards took third.

The finish means that Italian Rossi takes over at the top of the riders’ standings with 97 points, while Spaniards Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa - who finished fourth after a battle with American Edwards - are level on 94.

Reigning world champion Casey Stoner was fifth after holding a podium position for several laps and is fourth overall, a massive 38 points further back.

Valentino Rossi ha vinto il GP di Francia classe MotoGP, quinta prova del Mondiale 2008. Il pesarese della Yamaha ha dominato davanti ai compagni di marca Jorge Lorenzo e Colin Edwards. Quarto Daniel Pedrosa, sesto Andrea Dovizioso, settimo Loris Capirossi. Nel Mondiale Rossi ha così conquistato la testa.

Five-time champion Valentino Rossi won his first MotoGP race of 2008 with a superb performance in Shanghai. The Italian legend set a succession of lap records in cool, slightly damp conditions, shaking off the persistent Dani Pedrosa, who takes over the championship lead. Ducati’s Casey Stoner finished some way back in third ahead of the heroic Jorge Lorenzo, who broke his ankle in a horrifying crash on Friday but raced on to claim fourth.

Nel GP di Cina Valentino conquista il successo sette mesi dopo l’ultima volta all’Estoril. Splendida cavalcata a colpi di giri record. Alle sue spalle Pedrosa, 3° Stoner. Ottimo Melandri 5° dietro a Lorenzo, incredibile 4° con la frattura alla caviglia sinistra.

Jorge Lorenzo’s ‘inevitable’ debut MotoGP victory has come at only his third attempt, after the reigning 250cc world champion fought past arch-rival Dani Pedrosa and team-mate Valentino Rossi during Sunday’s Portuguese Grand Prix. Having qualified on pole for a perfect third time in a row, Lorenzo lined up on the front of the Estoril grid with sporadic rain drops falling - adding further drama to the proceedings - before fellow front row starters Pedrosa and Rossi stormed ahead of him into turn one. Rossi wasted no time in shuffling ahead of the world championship leader, with Lorenzo also taking advantage - then passing the fellow Fiat Yamaha of Rossi to take the lead by the end of lap one.

Lorenzo felice per la prima vittoria in MotoGP: “Ringrazio il team. Rossi? Dovevo passarlo in quel momento”. Pedrosa: “Complimenti a lui”. Valentino: “Risultato giusto ma la mia moto è veloce, ho fiducia per le prossime gare”.

Spain’s Dani Pedrosa grabbed the world championship lead with a dominant display in Sunday’s Spanish MotoGP. The Repsol Honda rider set a cracking pace after starting from second on the grid, serving notice of his intentions by setting a new lap record on the second lap. He quickly left his rivals in his wake, leading all the way to notch up his 28th career win and fifth in MotoGP. Italian Valentino Rossi finished second at 2.883sec with Pedrosa’s Spanish teammate Jorge Lorenzo third at 4.339.

Per Dani Pedrosa è la quinta vittoria in MotoGP in carriera. Ed ha un sapore speciale, perché conquistata davanti ai suoi 130mila tifosi e con un margine ampio su tutti gli altri (2″883 su Rossi, 4″339 su Lorenzo). Per Valentino, al podio numero 100 in carriera (il primo con gomme Bridgestone) il secondo posto è un buon segnale sulla strada verso il Mondiale, mentre il vecchio re, Casey Stoner, mastica amaro.

The opening round of the 2008 MotoGP season, and first ever grand prix to be held at night, has been won by reigning world champion Casey Stoner after the Ducati star fought his way past some determined rivals to repeat his Qatar victory of one year ago. Despite qualifying fourth on the grid, behind three Michelin-shod Yamahas, Stoner was a firm pre-race favourite - but the young Australian had to work hard before he finally hit the front, on lap 8 of 22. Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa got a lightening start from eighth on the grid to lead the 18-rider field into the first turn of the 2008 season, with rookie James Toseland and Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards second and third, just ahead of rookie pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo of the factory team. Valentino Rossi began his first grand prix with Bridgestone tyres by gaining two positions through the opening turns, placing the seven-times world champion between new team-mate Lorenzo and sixth-placed Stoner.

Tutti dietro a Casey Stoner. E’ davvero notte fonda per tutti gli avversari del piccolo grande australiano della Ducati, autore di una super prestazione nella prima gara del Mondiale disputata tra i riflettori del Qatar.

Nella prima corsa in notturna della storia della MotoGP, il campione del mondo ha imposto la sua legge dominando con il numero uno sul capolino, qualcosa che dà più gusto dopo che qualcuno aveva cercato di sminuire il valore della sua vittoria 2007. Oggi Casey è stato doppiamente bravo: malgrado una partenza non perfetta è rimasto calmo. Ha lasciato che Pedrosa, Rossi e soprattutto Lorenzo si scatenassero, poi all’ottavo giro è passato al comando e ha acceso il turbo della sua Ducati, ancora una volta superlativa.