Lorenzo pimpin klasemen pembalap sementara

Jorge Lorenzo meraih kemenangan di Le Mans berkat strategi ganti ban tepat. Ternyata, perkara ganti ban motor dalam balapan adalah kali pertama untuknya. Di dalam balapan MotoGP Prancis, Minggu (17/5/2009), Lorenzo menguasai posisi terdepan sedari awal. Tempat itu terus dipertahankan sampai akhir balapan.

Hal itu tak lepas dari keputusannya melakukan penggantian ban, tentu beserta motornya, yang lebih telat ketimbang kebanyakan pembalap lainnya. Baru di lap 12 Lorenzo masuk pit dan beralih ke ban kering.

Dalam balapan, Valentino Rossi yang start di posisi empat terkendala dan sempat jatuh di lintasan. Itu diperparah dengan penalti yang diberikan untuknya setelah dia melaju terlalu cepat di pitlane.

Dani Pedrosa yang meraih pole sempat mengawali balapan dengan meyakinkan. Namun, dia lantas malah bisa dilewati Jorge Lorenzo yang tampil apik sedari awal balapan.

Lorenzo yang start di posisi dua sedari awal sukses menjaga posisinya. Pembalap yang musim lalu jadi runner-up di Le Mans itu bahkan berhasil naik ke posisi pertama di akhir lap pertama.

Dalam balapan sendiri, pergantian ban oleh para pembalap tak terelakkan seiring dengan kondisi lintasan. Tapi ini tak mengendala Lorenzo yang setia di posisi terdepan.

Akhirnya, Lorenzo pun berhasil melewati garis finis paling pertama diikuti oleh Marco Melandri dan Dani Pedrosa yang menempati posisi ini di lap terakhir.

Untuk Lorenzo, ini adalah kali kedua dia jadi juara musim ini setelah sebelumnya berjaya di Motegi, Jepang. Ini juga jadi kebangkitan buatnya setelah pada seri sebelumnya di Jerez nihil angka karena retired.

Hasil Balapan MotoGP Prancis
Posisi-Pembalap-Negara-Tim
1 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha
2 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki
3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda
4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda
5 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati
6 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki
7 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
8 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki
9 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
10 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
11 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
12 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati
13 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda
14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda
15 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati
16 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha

Not classified

Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 20'47.302 17 Lap

Share and Bookmark:

Valentino Rossi takes first win of the year

A crowd of more than 120,000 fans at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit witnessed a victory for Valentino Rossi in the first European race of 2009.

Valentino Rossi took his first win of the season at the Gran Premio bwin.com de España on Sunday, beating Dani Pedrosa to the line by a 2.7s margin in front of a huge Spanish crowd in Andalusia.

Pedrosa led for the first half of the race having made one of his trademark strong starts from second on the grid, but Rossi took the lead with ten laps to go and did not look back there and his triumph gives him an 11 point lead in the general standings.

The rostrum was completed by Casey Stoner, who trailed Rossi by 10 seconds, the Ducati Marlboro rider moving into second place in the championship. It was the Australian’s first podium appearance at the southern Spanish track.

As was the case in the 250cc and 125cc races the Spanish rider who got underway in pole position crashed out when Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo lost control riding in fourth place with three laps to go, losing ground in the championship race.



An excellent performance from Randy de Puniet, meanwhile, saw the Frenchman bring his LCR Honda satellite machine home in fourth place, having qualified in fifth, to give himself a confidence boost ahead of his home GP in two weeks time at Le Mans.

Another excellent run from Marco Melandri gave the Italian another good points haul in fifth, the former Ducati and Honda rider improving on his good result from last weekend in Japan for the Kawasaki-equipped Hayate Racing team.

Rizla Suzuki’s Loris Capirossi rode steadily from sixth on the grid, to come home in the same position, meaning five different manufacturers were represented in the top six.

Monster Tech Yamaha’s Colin Edwards crossed the line seventh, whilst Andrea Dovizioso did well to finish eighth in his third ride for the factory Repsol Honda team having left the track at one stage. Toni Elías was the second best Spaniard in ninth for the San Carlo Honda Gresini team, with the top ten completed by Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen.

Sete Gibernau on his return to Jerez could only manage 11th for the Grupo Francisco Hernando team, whilst 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden crossed the line 15th.

The MotoGP stars return to action at the Grand Prix de France in a fortnight’s time.

Share and Bookmark: