21/08/10

It was the Cardion AB Grand Prix Ceske Republiky, last weekend, at the Automotodrom Brno, when set-up problems prevented reigning World Champion, Valentino Rossi, from repeating either last year's race-long scrap with Fiat Yamaha team-mate, Jorge Lorenzo, or his eventual Brno win.

After a brief race lead from the start, Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa, settled into second place, leaving Casey Stoner and Ducati to fight it out for third, with an impressive Ben Spies, Monster Yamaha Tech3, who came home fourth, after his first MotoGP front-row grid position.

Jorge Lorenzo's seventh victory in the 2010 Championship, leaves him with a seemingly unassailable lead, and the World Champion's title within reach.

Meanwhile, Moto2 continues to deliver racing at least as exciting as seen with the Premier Class, as Tony Elias, Gresini Racing Moto2, rode an authoritative GP in the new class, to maintain his Championship lead.

Dunlop is sole tyre supplier to the Moto2 grid.

Round ten, of this year's FIM Superbike World Championship, is to be held at Silverstone on 30th July to 1st August, and two Brit. riders took the opportunity of the recent MotoGP weekend, to assess the new Northamptonshire Grand Prix circuit, to which the MotoGP riders were giving a big "thumbs up".

Leon Camier took to the air for a bird's-eye view, by helicopter, and judged the revamped track to be
"absolutely awesome, it's fast flowing and technical too. It's wide as well which always makes for good racing".

Meanwhile. Cal Crutchlow complimented the circuit developers on a "phenomenal new layout" and felt that it "looks tricky but perfect for motorbike racing".

Last Sunday, MotoGP was in Spain for the Gran Premio Aperol De Catalunya, and another commanding
performance from Fiat Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo, gave him his third consecutive 2010 victory, as his harder front and softer rear Bridgestone slicks coped faultlessly with a hot and slippery track. The #99 rider has won five races out of seven, so far this season ; the absence of team-mate Valentino Rossi, no doubt being a factor.

Recovering famously from a run-off early on, which placed him towards the rear of the field, Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa fought a long battle to keep Ducati's Casey Stoner in third position, after scything his way back through the depleted field, to second place.

Seven times, Premier Class, MotoGP World Champion, Valentino Rossi (shown here in off-road action at the Motocross Dei Campioni, for a change), has been officially rated as one of the best world athletes of the past decade.

Several mainstream media productions have been looking back, to try to determine who their readers judge to be the top sporting stars, and Fiat Yamaha's currently senior rider, is well up there with the likes of Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Michael Schumacher, and the Italian national football team!

Coming first, second, or third, in each of the European media polls, and that reflecting, perhaps, the national sympathies of the surveyed country, "Tuttosport", for one, reported 48.6% of the vote supporting Rossi, 12.4% Bolt, and 11% Federer.

Now begins the countdown to MotoGP 2010! April 11th, Losail Circuit in Qatar: