Portuguese MotoGP 2009: Lorenzo closes gap

Jorge Lorenzo briefly lost first place from pole in the Portuguese MotoGP before claiming a peerless victory to reduce the gap on World Championship leader Valentino Rossi to 18 points.

Rossi, Fiat Yamaha team-mate of Lorenzo, trailed home in fourth adrift of the leading trio, while returning Casey Stoner finished second ahead of Dani Pedrosa.

Pedrosa was quick off the line, moving into top spot from fourth on the grid while Loris Capirossi made up a place to slot in behind Stoner, Rossi and Colin Edwards. Nicky Hayden had gained two to settle behind the Rizla Suzuki rider.

Mika Kallio was electric as he went from 10th at the start to sixth by lap three, overtaking both of those early jumpers, only to crash his Pramac Racing bike a couple of laps later.


On the second corner Lorenzo stood up Spanish countryman Pedrosa to regain the lead he had seen taken away seconds before while Ducati Marlboro's Stoner snatched second from the Honda rider.

The highly impressive Stoner was not to relinquish position for the remaining 24 laps as he returned to the MotoGP fold after three races out with a mystery illness.

It was a procession at the front, Lorenzo building steadily while Rossi could not keep in touch with Pedrosa, finishing 13 seconds behind him by the end and 23 in arrears of his victorious colleague Lorenzo.

Andrea Dovizioso was on the move early but dropped from sixth to seventh by the end of the race.

Alex de Angelis was the second rider to retire after Kallio, followed later by Loris Capirossi from eighth with seven laps remaining.

The retirements saw Briton James Toseland finish ninth, 11 seconds and four positions behind Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Edwards.

Between them at the finish were Toni Elias - who took sixth position from Dovizioso with five laps left - the Repsol Honda-riding Italian and Hayden.

Chris Vermeulen was 10th followed by Randy de Puniet, Marco Melandri, Niccolo Canepa and the struggling Gabor Talmacsi.


Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport

Race live standing
P. Driver Team Time
1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory 45:35.522
2 Casey Stoner Ducati MotoGP 45:41.816
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda HRC 45:45.411
4 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Factory 45:58.950
5 Colin Edwards Yamaha Tech3 46:08.174
6 Antonio Elias Honda Gresini 46:11.231
7 Andrea Dovizioso Honda HRC 46:11.245
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati MotoGP 46:14.352
9 James Toseland Yamaha Tech3 46:19.615
10 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki MotoGP 46:28.385
11 Randy De Puniet Honda LCR 46:31.220
12 Marco Melandri Hayate Racing 46:40.037
13 Niccolo Canepa Ducati Pramac 46:40.060
14 Gabor Talmacsi Honda Scot 47:02.821
99 Mika Kallio Ducati Pramac 0:00.000

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