Jorge Lorenzo took today’s victory in a impressive way in a race declared full wet, but the track already starting to dry.
Pole setter Dani Pedrosa took the lead, but Lorenzo was on his game today because by the end of the first lap had taken the lead and there was no stopping him and from start to finish, in the wet or the dry, the Spanish rider was the fastest man on the famous Le Mans circuit.
Second place went to a born again Marco Melandri on the Hayate/Kawasaki who started on the grid in 9th but with a good start was able to contest several riders, including former team mate Casey Stoner.
Rossi was second by the fourth lap and his rain tires already showing wear, headed to his garage on the 5th lap to get his second bike equipped with tires for dry racing, but not full slicks.
Following suit, Dani Pedrosa and Loris Capirossi, the three re-entered the race in 15th, 16th and 17th place and on the Musuem turn Rossi put his wheels on the wet, low sided into the gravel but was able to re-start his M1.
Rossi returned to his garage with a broken screen, again to pick up his 1s tbike with still another set of tires and returned to the race only to be given a ride through for speeding in the pit lane and his race was definitely over, 2 laps behind, finishing 16th and no points.
Lorenzo was the last rider to change his bike on lap 12 and with his slicks starting to heat up started lapping better than anyone.
Lorenzo won the race with a massive 17.
71 margin.
Amazing was Dani Pedrosa’s charge to get team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.
Lap after lap the Spanish rider closed the gap and finally caught the Italian rider, passed him on the final and got third place on the podium, half a second ahead of Dovizioso.
Casey Stoner finished fifth while Chris Vermeulen was a distant sixth.
Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Colin Edwards after a disastrous start that left him 16th pushed back to take 7th place, Loris Capirossi 8th and James Toseland 9th.
Toni Elias took 10th, beating out his team mate Alex DeAngelis.
Nicky Hayden had run to 5th before changing his tires but fell back to 12th beaten by the two Gresini riders.
Yuki Takahashi 13th and Randy DePuniet 14th ,while rookie Niccolò Canepa took his third point of the season was 15th.
Mika Kallio crashed out and was not able to continue the race.
MotoGP Le Mans Race Results:1 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha 47′52.
6782 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Kawasaki 17.
7103 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Honda 19.
8934 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Honda 20.
4555 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati 30.
5396 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Suzuki 37.
4627 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Yamaha 40.
1918 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Suzuki 45.
4219 52 James TOSELAND GBR Yamaha 50.
30710 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Honda 53.
21811 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM Honda 53.
55012 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati 56.
64713 72 Yuki TAKAHASHI JPN Honda 56.
68814 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Honda 1′11.
29915 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Ducati 1′15.
38516 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha 2 giriDNF36 Mika KALLIO FIN Ducati
