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The 2009 MotoGP World Championship begins again at Brno in the Czech Republic this weekend, since a minimal break and
a historic final visit to Donington Park which allowed champion Valentino Rossi to increases his performance at the top of
the ratings, in some lucky circumstances.
Even though Rossi endured his second poor result of the year recently
at Donington, passing the finish line in fifth spot having smashed out of the lead, the unlucky events have played his main
rivals into his hands as the champion Italian increased into a 25 point advantage in the title event.
On track
for his sixth first class crown, Rossi was a winner at Brno last season, in addition to the circuits for the two events which
follow round eleven, Indianapolis and Misano, he will be looking to damage his opponents as the season heats up. Brno was
also the circuit for Rossi’s first ever win back in 1996 in the 125cc session and he claims four first class Czech victories
in total going back to 2001.
Following Rossi in the MotoGP class is his gifted young Fiat Yamaha colleague Jorge
Lorenzo who went into the break battered and bruised after claiming injuries at Laguna Seca in July, then suffering his second
DNF of the season in Great Britain. The Spanish star was 10th in his initial Czech MotoGP event in a very tough race for the
competitors, but has a sturdy Brno track record having been victorious there in both the 250cc and 125cc events.
Ducati will wish that Casey Stoner has progressed during the break in his recovery from gastritis and anaemia symptoms,
which have dampered him for quite a few weeks, as he has lost pace at the front on Rossi and now sits behind the leader by
37 points in third place. Donington was a nightmare for Stoner and his colleague Nicky Hayden (13th in the ranks) as they
wagered on slippery tyres on the wet-drying circuit and both ended outside the top ten.
After his brilliant victory
at Laguna and a stage finish at Sachsenring, Dani Pedrosa’s up and down form surfaced again at Donington, as the Repsol
Honda competitor struggled in the wet conditions and only managed a ninth placing, quickly crushing his hopes of a comeback.
The Spaniard is placing fourth in the ranks currently, two places in front of colleague Andrea Dovizioso who will be extremely
keen about returning to the action after his amazing maiden MotoGP victory at Donington.
The same applies for fifth
placed Monster Yamaha Tech 3 competitor Colin Edwards, who made an identical result in second place in England, in front of
Randy de Puniet on the Donington circuit.
De Puniet places eighth overall in the general rank, just away from Hayate
Racing’s Marco Melandri, however the Honda man’s great 2009 results could have an affect since a training mishap
on the weekend after the British Grand Prix, which left him with a broken ankle. The Frenchman is due to race at Brno but
probably will not be as fit and prepared as he would like.
MotoGP’s latest top ten is finished by Rizla Suzuki’s
Chris Vermeulen and Loris Capirossi who are under major stress to show excellent results in the Czech Republic having placed
13th and 11th in the UK at round ten.
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