MotoGP Catalunya

10 June 2008

Dani Pedrosa dominated from the start to finish during an easy win in the Catalunya MotoGP.

Pedrosa passed Casey Stoner on the first corner, leaving the pole starter in his wake to build lead which was almost eight seconds.

This left Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi to a fiercely fought battle for second place with Rossi scrambling his way through the field after starting ninth on the grid. It wasn't until the penultimate lap that Rossi passed Stoner to take the second spot.

"I can't wait to get up to Donington, it's hard work on these new tracks,"

Pedrosa starting from second on the grid had a superb start breaking lap record on the second lap, and throughout the rest of the race the win was Pedrosa's to loose.

The afternoons drama was the battle for runner-up spot between current reigning world champion Stoner and Rossi, who had started from his lowest qualifying position of the season.

But the tenacious Rossi quickly moved up through the field, and by lap nine was up to second place after a breathtaking move to quickly get past Stoner.

But Stoner refused to give in without a fight, and by lap 16 he had passed Rossi, but the Italian, wearing specially customised leathers in the style of the Italy football kit, regained second with two laps to go, and held on, unlike hiss football team.

Pedrosa's win cuts Rossi's championship lead down to seven points, but having hauled his way up from such a poor starting place, Rossi was more than happy with second place.

"I enjoyed it a lot, more than winning the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, because I love a battle and this year we haven't had any," he told BBC Sport.

Brit James Toseland, who started sixth and finished in the same position for his best finish so far was also pleased with his day's work, and the prospect of returning to the familiar surroundings of Donington for the next race.

"I can't wait to get up to Donington, it's hard work on these new tracks," he said

Catalunya MotoGP result:

1 D Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 43mins 02.175secs
2 V Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 43:04.981
3 C Stoner (Aus) Ducati 43:05.518
4 A Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 43:13.068
5 C Edwards (US) Yamaha 43:18.601
6 J Toseland (GB) Yamaha 43:23.657