Rossi takes 100th GP win

From motogp.com

Valentino Rossi won his 100th Grand Prix, took his second triumph in succession and became the undisputed leader of the MotoGP World Championship with a stellar performance at the Alice TT Assen on Saturday.

The Fiat Yamaha rider had a peerless performance from pole position and, unlike two weeks previous in Barcelona, needed no ‘Hail Mary’ last lap at the Cathedral of Motorcycle Racing.

A vintage Rossi performance was celebrated with his unraveling a backdrop and posing for a classic photo with antiquated cameras, the Italian’s latest post-race show with his faithful fan club.

“It’s a fantastic achievement. One hundred victories is a great number. Thanks to all the guys who have helped me to reach this number – my teams over the past 10 years, Jeremy Burgess and especially all my close friends and family for giving me motivation. We hope to win some other races though,” said Rossi after stepping onto the podium with a custom made ‘100’ flag.

“I had a good feeling and knew that I was very fast on two or three points in the track, so I tried to get out to the front as soon as possible and impose my rhythm," the World Champion added. "It was a perfect race because any mistakes would have a high cost. I knew that Lorenzo was very strong, so I tried to take an advantage."

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo was once again forced to settle for second place, his third on the bounce. The Spaniard got off to a bad start from third on the grid and, although he was able to fight back up to the front, could not provide Rossi with the same challenge that he had done last time out.

"First of all I have to say congratulations to Valentino because this is an incredible thing to achieve and this day belongs to him," Lorenzo said. "Unfortunately I didn't get a good start today and I had to take a few risks to pass people and come back to the front.

"Once I did I tried to go after Valentino but in some places I just wasn't as fast as him; he was riding 36.5s every time and I didn't really have quite enough confidence to push that hard today because the bike didn't feel perfect. As the race went on I started to feel the front tire 'close' a bit and I decided that it was safer to come home in second."

Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner completed the podium with a solitary ride chasing Lorenzo. The Australian now trails Rossi and his Spanish rival in the overall standings after the trio had been level on points heading in to the Assen race.

As at the previous MotoGP round at Barcelona Stoner crossed the line third behind championship rivals Rossi and Lorenzo, though on this occasion he was even more run down than at Catalunya, unable to attend post-race media briefings and receiving treatment from Clinica Mobile staff in his motorhome.

Ducati’s MotoGP Project Director Livio Suppo spoke to motogp.com on Saturday afternoon in the Netherlands, saying, “There is something wrong with Casey’s condition and we are trying to understand what is wrong and trying to help. What we have done so far is not enough and we have to investigate more. Dr Claudio Macchiagodena from Clinica Mobile has done a lot to help after the race and he has some ideas for Laguna so let’s just hope.”

Stoner was quoted by Ducati as stating, “I’ve been feeling fine all week but started to feel run down again on Friday and I’ve just got worse as the weekend has gone on. I’ve taken every kind of supplement and vitamin tablet you can think of but nothing seems to have worked, so it is obviously something we need to have looked at closer because I can’t keep going like this and it is costing us points.”

Colin Edwards equaled his best result of the year with fourth place, at the head of an enthralling battle between the ‘best of the rest’. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen and Edwards’ Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate James Toseland were also in the top six with their best finishes of the season to date.

Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso had been in with a shout at the rostrum, but both took tumbles before the race took its full shape. There was also a late fall for Pramac Racing’s Mika Kallio when the Finn was challenging for sixth on the final lap.

Toni Elías was penalised 20 seconds for using the run-off area illegally on the final lap.

Hiroshi Aoyama claimed his second win of the 2009 season at the 250cc Alice TT Assen, taking the leadership of the World Championship as a consequence.

The Scot Racing rider’s immediate rival, Álvaro Bautista, had looked to be on course to push Aoyama to the line as the duo broke free and dashed for the checkered flag. However, Mapfre Aspar rider Bautista smashed into the back of Aoyama’s Honda on the fast chicane, ending the Spaniard’s race and leaving the race winner lucky to stay upright. Regaining his composure, Aoyama nursed his machine across the line for an exhilarating win.

A three-way battle at the front of the 125cc race in Assen saw the order of the podium positions decided on the very last lap, with Sergio Gadea earning his first win of 2009. The Spaniard emerged victorious ahead of fellow countrymen Nico Terol and Julián Simón in a dry race that went down to the wire, saw Terol penalised 20 seconds and left Simón at the head of the overall classification.

The trio had battled against one another since just past the halfway mark in Assen. On the final lap Terol made a move that did not pay off and ran along the asphalt run-off strip. He caught up with Gadea on the home straight, but the Bancaja Aspar rider had enough of an advantage to take the win. The move was the subject of an enquiry by Race Direction, and the decision was made to relegate Terol to fifth place.

MotoGP Race Results
1. Valentino ROSSI (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team / Yamaha 42:14.611 (168.210 km/h)
2. Jorge LORENZO (SPA) Fiat Yamaha Team / Yamaha +5.368
3. Casey STONER (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team / Ducati +23.113
4. Colin EDWARDS (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / Yamaha +29.114
5. Chris VERMEULEN (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP / Suzuki +33.605
6. James TOSELAND (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / Yamaha +39.347
7. Randy DE PUNIET (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP / Honda +39.543
8. Nicky HAYDEN (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team / Ducati +39.823
9. Loris CAPIROSSI (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP / Suzuki +40.673
10. Alex DE ANGELIS (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini / Honda +46.010
11. Marco MELANDRI (ITA) Hayate Racing Team / Kawasaki +57.777
12. Toni ELIAS (SPA) San Carlo Honda Gresini / Honda +59.774
13. Sete GIBERNAU (SPA) Grupo Francisco Hernando / Ducati +1:05.366
14. Niccolo CANEPA (ITA) Pramac Racing / Ducati +1:09.897
15. Yuki TAKAHASHI (JPN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP / Honda +1:09.930
16. Gabor TALMACSI (HUN) Scot Racing Team MotoGP / Honda +1:25.099
Not classified
Mika KALLIO (FIN) Pramac Racing / Ducati +1 Lap
Andrea DOVIZIOSO (ITA) Repsol Honda Team / Honda +16 Laps
Dani PEDROSA (SPA) Repsol Honda Team / Honda +22 Laps

MotoGP Point Standings
1. Valentino ROSSI (Fiat Yamaha Team) 131
2. Jorge LORENZO (Fiat Yamaha Team) 126
3. Casey STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 122
4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Repsol Honda Team) 69
5. Dani PEDROSA (Repsol Honda Team) 67
6. Colin EDWARDS (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 67
7. Loris CAPIROSSI (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) 56
8. Marco MELANDRI (Hayate Racing Team) 55
9. Chris VERMEULEN (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) 53
10. Randy DE PUNIET (LCR Honda MotoGP) 51
11. James TOSELAND (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) 39
12. Alex DE ANGELIS (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 31
13. Nicky HAYDEN (Ducati Marlboro Team) 27
14. Toni ELIAS (San Carlo Honda Gresini) 27
15. Mika KALLIO (Pramac Racing) 26
16. Niccolo CANEPA (Pramac Racing) 12
17. Sete GIBERNAU (Grupo Francisco Hernando) 12
18. Yuki TAKAHASHI (Scot Racing Team MotoGP) 9