Rossi first in crash-hit Catalan Grand Prix

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi, riding a Yamaha, won a crash-marred Catalan Grand Prix for the third year in a row yesterday to move back into the title reckoning.

American Nicky Hayden was second on a Honda to take the outright lead in the standings while compatriot Kenny Roberts was third on a KR211V for the team run by his father and namesake.

Honda's Hayden now has 119 points after seven races, 20 ahead of Ducati's Loris Capirossi. Rossi, who started the weekend in fifth place, moved up to third with 90 points.

American John Hopkins was fourth, ahead of compatriot Colin Edwards in fifth and Australian Chris Vermeulen in sixth. Only 11 riders finished.

The race was halted after one lap when six riders, including Capirossi, collided and fell at the first corner.

Italian Marco Melandri, who was third in the overall standings, was carried on stretcher to a waiting ambulance after being attended by doctors as he lay in the gravel.

A Honda team official said the rider was conscious but neither he, Capirossi nor Spaniard Sete Gibernau made the re-start.

Media reports said that Capirossi was suffering from bruising to the abdomen and internal bleeding. Gibernau had a broken collarbone while Melandri had a dislocated collarbone and a sore neck.

Local favourite Dani Pedrosa, Hopkins and Randy de Puniet managed to return for the re-start half an hour later with the race reduced from 25 to 24 laps.

Australian Casey Stoner took the lead at the first corner, as he had after the aborted first start, pushing pole sitter Rossi back into fifth place.

But Rossi methodically picked off those in front of him until he took the lead at the start of lap nine, cutting inside Stoner at the end of the home straight.

Stoner came off his Honda soon after for the second consecutive Grand Prix.

Hayden kept pace with Rossi as the two broke away from the rest of the riders, but could not mount a serious challenge as Rossi opened it up over the last five laps.

Rossi lifted his front wheel in the air and waved to the crowd on his final lap, before taking the chequered flag to win his second Grand Prix in a row after his triumph in Italy two weeks ago.

It was the Italian's 56th win in the top category, 12 short of the record held by compatriot Giacomo Agostini.

Rossi also became only the second rider to score more than 2,000 points in the top category, the other being Australia's five times champion Mick Doohan.

Dovizioso wins 250cc category

Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso of Italy claimed his first 250cc victory of the season yesterday.

The Honda rider, who had finished on the podium in all six previous races, held off a thrilling fightback from Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo on the last lap.

Dovizioso is top of the standings with 133 points, 25 ahead of Lorenzo in second.

Runaway championship leader Alvaro Bautista of Spain, on an Aprilia, claimed his third win of the season in the 125cc class.

Bautista was closely followed over the line by two more Spaniards, Hector Faubel in second and Sergio Gadea in third.

Bautista is top of the standings with 144 points, 56 ahead of second-placed Mika Kallio, who crashed out on the second lap.