Rossi moves closer to title, Gibernau bike fails

World champion Valentino Rossi is one victory away from his fifth consecutive MotoGP title after winning the Czech Grand Prix yesterday.

Spanish rival Sete Gibernau dropped out on the last lap to give Yamaha's Rossi his ninth victory in 11 events this year.

The 26-year-old needs to win only one of the remaining six races to take the title.

Italy swept the podium with Loris Capirossi on a Ducati second, 1.837 seconds behind, followed by Max Biaggi on a Honda.

Gibernau was challenging Rossi but failed to finish after a mechanical problem on the final lap.

"I think the battle with Gibernau was very good to see. I wasn't able to get away from him - I tried but he was always coming back," Rossi said.

"When it's difficult like this, the taste of winning is better."

Rossi is now clear third on the all-time list of victories with 77, behind only Giacomo Agostini and Angel Nieto.

On pole after setting a lap record on Saturday, Gibernau held his nerve into the first corner while Rossi barged into second after starting fourth on the grid.

By the half-way point of the first lap, Rossi was in the lead and the duel was on.

He and Gibernau exchanged top spot five more times over the final 21 laps of the undulating 5.4km Masaryk circuit before Gibernau's bike appeared to run out of fuel after Rossi had taken the lead on the last corner before the final lap.

"I pushed and pushed... I saw that Gibernau had some problems. It's bad luck for him, because he was very fast and he deserved a place on the podium," Rossi said.

The third place finish vaulted Biaggi into second in the championship standings although he is a distant 132 points behind Rossi, who is on 261 points.

Another Italian, Marco Melandri, who placed sixth in Brno, is on 126.

Pedrosa on brink of title

Spain's Dani Pedrosa cruised to victory in the 250cc race yesterday, outduelling pole starter Jorge Lorenzo to put a stranglehold on the title he is defending.

Spaniard Lorenzo started from pole on his Honda but was no match for Pedrosa, also on a Honda, finishing 1.303 seconds behind. Australia's Casey Stoner was third on an Aprilia, 4.253 seconds back.

With the win, his sixth victory in 10 races this season, Pedrosa extended his lead in the 250cc class.

The title holder sits on 206 points with Stoner a distant second on 147.

Earlier on, Swiss Thomas Luthi extended his lead in the 125cc world championship standings, beating his Finnish rival Mika Kallio for the chequered flag.

Italy's Marco Simoncelli was third on his Aprilia, 3.326 seconds off the pace.

Luthi leads the points race on 144 to 136 for Kallio.