Cycle News Staff | October 4, 2009
Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo took full advantage of an off-day by his teammate Valentino Rossi to win the Portuguese Grand Prix in Estoril today, moving himself firmly back in the hunt for the World Championship.Lorenzo now trails Rossi, fourth today, by 18 points after coming into the Portuguese round 30 points adrift of the Italian.At the start it was Pedrosa leading, but by the end of the first lap Lorenzo would take the lead. And he’d stay there all the way to the finish.Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner was fifth off the start, but he was soon up to Rossi, who was third, and pounced to take over the spot. Then he went after Pedrosa, passing the Spaniard on the second lap and going after Lorenzo while showing that he’d lost none of his speed despite missing the last three GPs with illness.But the Australian couldn’t match Lorenzo’s pace and by halfway the Spaniard held a 2.3 second lead over the Ducati man. Pedrosa, meanwhile, was over a second behind with Rossi well off the pace in fourth place.At the finish line it was Lorenzo by 6.294 seconds over Stoner with Pedrosa third – another three some seconds behind. It was the first time in Rossi’s MotoGP career that he failed to finish on the podium as he rode alone to fourth place.Monster Tech 3 Yamaha’s Colin Edwards started fifth and finished fifth, beating former Estoril winner Toni Elias, the Spaniard having started 13th on the grid after a poor qualifying effort. Then came Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso.Eight place went to 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden with James Toseland ninth on the second Monster Tech 3 Yamaha. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen was 10th while his teammate Loris Capirossi went out early with mechanical woes.
Results
1. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha)
2. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
3. Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
4. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
5. Colin Edwards (Yamaha)
6. Toni Elias (Honda)
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda)
8. Nicky Hayden (Ducati)
9. James Toseland (Yamaha)
10. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki)
