Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo won the French MotoGP yesterday just a year after he finished second despite riding with two broken ankles.
The 22-year-old — a two-time 250cc world champion — enjoyed a trouble-free ride on his Yamaha to coast home ahead of Italian Marco Melandri on a Kawasaki while pole sitter Dani Pedrosa of Spain was third on a Honda.
Lorenzo’s joy was the reverse of Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi, who had a nightmare as he sought his 99th career victory but in the end trailed in without scoring a point.
Lorenzo took the lead off his compatriot Pedrosa after the first lap, passing both him and Australia’s former world champion Casey Stoner in an audacious maneuver.
Stoner was suffering the most of the contenders as he was then passed by Rossi with 26 of the 28 laps remaining and the Italian great — known affectionately as the “Doctor” — then overtook Pedrosa.
Lorenzo — who enjoys a difficult relationship with Rossi — held a lead of just over two seconds on the Italian.
NIGHTMARE
However, disaster struck for Rossi with 23 laps remaining. Having just come into the pits to change bikes and go on to dry tires, he came to grief on a corner and had to guide his damaged bike back to the pits to get on a new one.
His day went from bad to worse as he was then penalized with a ride-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane in his evident haste to try and rejoin the fray.
UP IN FRONT
While he was enduring his nightmare, Lorenzo looked serene out in front ahead of Andrea Dovizioso — who he led by over 11 seconds with 17 laps remaining — and he could afford to come into the pits with 16 laps to go.
Dovizioso’s stay in second was short-lived and it was Melandri that became the biggest threat to Lorenzo as he trailed him by four seconds with 12 laps remaining.
Lorenzo wasn’t in trouble after that and the main excitement came at the final lap when Pedrosa passed Honda teammate Dovizioso to take the final podium spot.
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