These excerpts directly from the MotoGP website, a great write-up of Sunday’s race at Le Mans in France:
Valentino Rossi took a second consecutive race victory at the Alice Grand Prix de France, ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Colin Edwards. The Italian now holds a three point advantage at the top of the World Championship standings. Rossi’s runaway triumph at Le Mans tied Angel Nieto´s record of 90 World Championship wins.
While second row starter Rossi had broken away from the pack early, the battle for the podium was closely contested right up to the line. The Italian´s Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo once again took his share of the limelight, bursting through the field to take second place in spite of a catalogue of injuries. His latest rostrum means that he is now the highest rookie point scorer for an opening five races in history, overtaking hero Max Biaggi.
Completing the all-Yamaha podium, Tech 3 rider Colin Edwards took another rostrum finish not quite in line with his predictions of victory, but nonetheless a fantastic achievement for the newly consistent American.
Poleman Dani Pedrosa relinquished his lead of the World Championship with fourth place, having attempted to lead the race from the front. Some hard moves from both Lorenzo and Edwards at the end of the Le Mans battle left the Repsol Honda rider off the podium for the first time in 2008.
Rossi now leads the World Championship by three points from Lorenzo and Pedrosa, who are tied for second. Stoner is running a distant fourth, while Nicki Hayden, world champion in 2006, trails in the 7 hole with 37 points.
MotoGP Le Mans Results:
1. Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team)
2. Jorge Lorenzo (Fiat Yamaha Team)
3. Colin Edwards (Tech 3 Yamaha)
4. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda)
5. Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki)
6. Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot MotoGP)
7. Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP)
8. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda)
9. Randy De Puniet (LCR Honda MotoGP)
10. Shinya Nakano (San Carlo Honda Gresini)
World Standings After 5 Events
______Rider______Nation___Team________Points
1 Valentino ROSSI____ ITA___ Fiat Yamaha____ _97
2 Jorge LORENZO_____SPA___ Fiat Yamaha_____94
3 Dani PEDROSA_____ SPA___ RepsoI Hond____ 94
4 Casey STONER_____ AUS___ Ducati Marlboro_ 56
5 Colin EDWARDS____ USA___Tech 3 Yamaha__ 47
6 Loris CAPIROSSI____ ITA____Rizla Suzuki_____42
7 Nicky HAYDEN_____ USA___ Repsol Honda___ 37
8 Andrea DOVIZIOSO_ ITA____ JIR Team Scot___36
9 James TOSELAND___GBR___ Tech3 Yamaha___33
10 Shinya NAKANO___JPN___ San Carlo Honda__28
Late-Braking MotoGP 