LE MANS: Valentino Rossi won the French Grand Prix yesterday to celebrate a record-equalling 90th victory and take the lead in the MotoGP world championship.
The Italian, who started from the second row on a rainy day, finished comfortably ahead of Spanish team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, cleared to race despite injuring both ankles in a crash in China two weeks ago.
American Colin Edwards completed a Yamaha sweep of the podium places with third.
Clowning around: Valentino Rossi jubilates on the podium after winning the French Grand Prix Sunday. – AP
Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, who had claimed pole position, finished fourth on his Honda to lose the championship lead to Rossi.
Former champion Rossi leads the standings on 97 points, followed by Lorenzo and Pedrosa on 94.
Rossi equalled Spaniard Angel Nieto’s record of 90 Grand Prix wins and moved four victories away from Italian Giacomo Agostini’s record 68 wins in the showcase category.
Nieto was on hand to take Rossi around the circuit on a post-race parade lap, with the Italian riding pillion and brandishing a flag proclaiming “90+90”.
“To win one’s 90th race is fantastic and to move alongside Angel Nieto is like a dream. It was an exceptional race for me.
“I am so happy to win two in a row (he won in Shanghai, China, previously), and it is the first time I have done that since 2006.
“We are in good shape. Yamaha did a great effort over the close season to change things round,” added Rossi, who never really challenged for the title last year.
Lorenzo meanwhile needed the help of crutches to get to the podium, where he sat on a chair to relieve the pain from his ankles.
Australian world champion Casey Stoner finished out of the points on his Ducati after breaking down and having to switch machines.
Earlier 32-year-old Spanish rider Alex Debon, riding an Aprilia, had recorded his first ever success in 112 races by taking the 250cc race while 20-year-old Frenchman Mike di Meglio ended a 26-year win drought for home riders by winning the rain-shortened 125 class. – Agencies
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