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| Casey Stoner |
Casey Stoner
extended his MotoGP championship lead with an eighth win of the season at
Aragon in Spain. The Australian took the lead at the end of the first lap and
streaked away to comfortably beat Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa. Reigning
champion Jorge Lorenzo was third ahead of Marco Simoncelli, with Ben Spies
fifth. Lorenzo is now 44 points adrift of Stoner in the standings with just
four races left of the season.
Stoner is odds-on
favourite to regain the title he last won on a Ducati in 2007.
British rider Cal
Crutchlow was ninth on his Tech 3 Yamaha after a race-long duel with Valentino
Rossi.
Stoner told BBC
Sport: "We're pretty much back to our best.
"It felt good
all weekend. The bike has been fantastic and the only problem was the wind - it
was changing direction and speed every lap so that was a challenge but I just
had to bring it home.
"It was my race
to lose today and I did the job."
Rossi started from
the pit lane in very windy conditions as Spies made a storming start to take
the lead at turn one.
Pedrosa barged past
Repsol Honda team-mate Stoner, but the Australian was soon into the lead at the
end of the long straight.
Spies then ran wide
to allow Pedrosa to pass him for second.
Third Repsol rider
Andrea Dovizioso failed to last the first lap as he crashed out, before
Simoncelli passed Lorenzo for fourth.
Stoner was able to
open up a comfortable gap at the front while Lorenzo was handed fourth spot
when Simoncelli overshot the turn at the end of the straight and had to take to
the run-off area.
Simoncelli was able
to rejoin in fifth while Rossi made his way gradually through the pack.
Lorenzo closed in on
team-mate Spies and muscled past with 10 laps to go before Simoncelli was able
to follow Lorenzo through and retake fourth spot.
Stoner eased to his
31st victory in the top class, putting him joint fifth on the all-time list, as
he moved 44 points clear with just 100 points left to play for.
Lorenzo said:
"It was impossible to win today so third is not too bad. Casey was just
too fast."
There were wins for
Spanish riders in both support races, as Marc Marquez took a thrilling Moto2
win to cut Stefan Bradl's championship lead to just six points, while Nicolas
Terol won the 125cc race to extend his championship lead.
Aragon
MotoGP result:
1. Casey Stoner
(Aus) Repsol Honda 42'17.427
2. Dani Pedrosa
(Spn) Repsol Honda 42'25.589
3. Jorge Lorenzo
(Spn) Yamaha 42'31.636
4. Marco Simoncelli
(Ita) Gresini Honda 42'38.073
5. Ben Spies (USA)
Yamaha 42'45.166
6. Alvaro Bautista
(Spn) Suzuki 42'47.800
7. Nicky Hayden
(USA) Ducati 42'51.715
8. Hector Barbera
(Spn) Aspar Ducati 42'54.732
9. Cal Crutchlow
(GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha 42'57.079
10. Valentino Rossi
(Ita) Ducati 42'57.424
Current MotoGP
standings
- Casey Stoner: 284 points
- Jorge Lorenzo: 240
- Andrea Dovizioso: 185
- Dani Pedrosa: 170
- Ben Spies: 146
- Valentino Rossi: 139
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