Australian Honda rider Casey Stoner won yesterday’s Dutch Moto GP in Assen after a terrific battle with Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, also on a Honda.
Stoner started on pole but soon found himself behind Pedrosa before retaking the lead with nine laps remaining and surging clear to win by a comfortable margin.
Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso finished third ahead of Ben Spies, the American who won the Dutch GP last year.
However, the race was overshadowed by an early crash involving Alvaro Bautista and Jorge Lorenzo that forced the world championship leader out of the race and denied him the chance of a fourth successive victory.
Lorenzo was furious after being taken out at turn one and the race direction later launched an investigation into the crash as the Spaniard was forced to watch Stoner join him at the top of the overall standings.
Tactics work
Stoner, for whom this was a second win in Assen following his success in 2008, admitted that his strategy of tracking Pedrosa and then pouncing paid off as he went on to win by a margin of almost five seconds.
“I didn’t see the crash (involving Lorenzo), I was just focused on the front,” the 26-year-old Australian said.
“What a difference a day makes. This morning things weren’t looking too good, but the team put a bike under me that was capable of winning.
“Hats off to the team.
“I decided to follow Dani because I knew we were pulling away from the rest and I needed to save every ounce of energy.”
Cal Crutchlow, who broke and dislocated his left ankle at Silverstone two weeks ago, came in fifth.
However, seven riders failed to finish the race despite conditions that were a far cry from the rain that twice interrupted Friday’s qualifying session.
It was also a miserable day for Valentino Rossi, with the Italian eight-time world champion ending up at the back of the field after being forced into the pits to get a new rear tyre with ten laps remaining.
Top standings
1. Lorenzo (Yamaha) 140 points, 2. Stoner (Honda) 140, 3. Pedrosa (Honda) 121, 4. Crutchlow (Yamaha) 77, 5. Dovizioso (Yamaha) 76, 6. Rossi (Ducati) 61, 7. Hayden (Ducati) 59, 8. Bautista (Honda) 58, 9. Bradl (Honda) 51, 10. Spies (Yamaha) 48.