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Stoner pips Rossi to triumph in first MotoGP of season

Ducati MotoGP rider Casey Stoner of Australia holds his trophy as he celebrates on the podium after winning the 500cc MotoGP at the Losail Circuit in Doha, Qatar, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Australian Ducati rider Casey Stoner won the Qatar MotoGP, the first race of the season, in a time of 43 minutes 02.788 seconds at the Losail International circuit yesterday.

Italy's Valentino Rossi on a Yamaha was second in 43:05.626 and Honda rider Dani Pedrosa of Spain third in 43:11.318.

Earlier yesterday, defending champion and pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo of Spain on an Aprilia won the 250cc race at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Lorenzo clocked 40 minutes 23.753 seconds.

"It was a perfect start. I think it was a good race for us although I had to really push hard for the win. This race was similar to the first race in the last season," the 19-year-old Lorenzo said after his ninth win in the 250cc class.

Italian Alex de Angelis, also on an Aprilia, was second in a time of 40:24.977 and third in 40:26.664 was his Spanish teammate Hector Barbera.

Meanwhile Spain's Hector Faubel, starting second on the grid on his Aprilia, edged past pole leader Gabor Talmacsi of Hungary to win the first 125cc race of the new season at the Losail circuit yesterday.

Faubel became the first rider since Masao Azuma in 2000 and 2001 to win the last race of the previous season and the first race of the new season.

Faubel clocked 38 minutes 12.029 seconds.

Talmacsi, also riding an Aprilia, came in second in 38:12.102 seconds with Lukas Pesek of the Czech Republic third.
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