Rossi makes it six in a row at Italian GP

Valentino Rossi's dominance of his home race continued when he racked up his sixth win in six years at the Italian MotoGP at Mugello yesterday.

The seven-times world champion was slow off the startline on his Yamaha, but after hitting the front on the ninth lap gradually eased away from his rivals to win by 3.074 seconds from the Honda of Spain's Daniel Pedrosa.

Brazil's Alex Barros was third on a Ducati.

Rossi equalled the achievement of Australian Mick Doohan, who won the Italian Grand Prix six years running between 1993 and 1998 in the old 500cc class.

Championship leader Casey Stoner of Australia rode his Ducati to fourth place to stay top of the standings on 115 points, nine points ahead of second-placed Rossi. Pedrosa lies third overall on 82 points.

Stoner, who had won three of the first five MotoGP of the season, started on pole and pulled away quickly to lead into the first corner, while Rossi dropped back from third place on the grid to eighth.

The Italian had struggled to match Stoner's pace in Saturday's wet qualifying session, but with dry conditions he steadily worked his way back up the field as Stoner and his Ducati team-mate Loris Capirossi set the early pace.

Pedrosa was also pushing hard. The 21-year-old, who was quickest in the warm-up, dived inside Stoner on lap six to take the lead.

Rossi followed a lap later then tucked in behind the Spaniard as the pair eased away from the chasing pack.

With four laps to go, the leaders had forged a four-second advantage over Stoner in third.

When Rossi surged for the finish, however, Pedrosa could not respond.

Stoner lost third to Barros under braking at the start of the penultimate lap.