Pedrosa grinds out brilliant win

A still less than 100 percent fit Dani Pedrosa scored a dogged victory in the German MotoGP at Sachsenring on July 17, inching clear of countryman Jorge Lorenzo and Australian Casey Stoner in the final few laps.

The Spaniard’s win is his fifth GP victory at Sachsenring, and only his second race after returning from surgery for a broken collarbone.

“It’s an incredible feeling to be back and win a race so early; I didn't expect it, but this circuit has been always very good for me and I made it happen,” said Pedrosa. “I was already surprised yesterday with second position in qualifying and to finish the weekend in this way is amazing, a huge relief for me after a very hard time with injuries.

“At the beginning of the race I wasn't feeling great on the bike, I was fourth but I didn't get nervous or worried because I'm still not mathematically out of the championship battle, but I know it's almost impossible. So I just let the laps pass and in the middle of the race, with less fuel in the tank and when the tyres started sliding, I decided to step it up a little and it worked perfectly.”

Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) got his usual great start, taking the holeshot ahead of Lorenzo (Yamaha) and Stoner (Repsol Honda) in what was to be a 30-lap fight to the finish.

At the end of lap one, Lorenzo was in the lead ahead of Pedrosa, Stoner and Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), who fought amongst each other for second until the Australian made his attack on lap five to take the lead, only to have Lorenzo regain the lead status a few laps later.

The Mallorcan then tried desperately to defend his line, until lap 21 when Pedrosa got a huge drive out of the last corner to launch himself into the lead for the last time.

He then pulled clear en route to a brilliant victory, leaving Lorenzo to sneak under Stoner on the last corner to take second.

“I made a few small mistakes and that left just Jorge and I for the last few laps,” said Stoner. “I tried everything I could, riding the cleanest lap possible and trying to block my line, but Jorge came up on the dirty part of the track and I thought it would be too high a risk but he made it stick and I have to settle for third place.

“I'm still leading the championship and I'm thankful for the points here today."

Meanwhile, a three-man battle for fourth ensued behind the leaders between Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team), Andrea Dovizioso, Ben Spies (Yamaha), out of which Italian Dovizioso crossed the line 0.2 seconds ahead of Spies, and 0.4 seconds in advance of fellow countryman Simoncelli.

Another intense fight starred Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) and the two Ducati Team riders Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi, and that’s how they finished, with of Colin Edwards (Tech 3 Yamaha Monster) following the trio in 10th.

Héctor Barberá (Mapfre Aspar) had an off-track excursion in the early stages of the race, who then staged a great comeback from the back of the pack to finish eleventh, in front of Karel Abraham (Cardion AB Motoracing).

Stoner leads the championship with 168pts, just 15 ahead of Lorenzo. In third is Dovizioso with 132pts.

In Moto2, Anthony West (MZ) was 23rd in a race won by wunderkind Marc Marquez (Suter), and in the 125s another Aussie, Jack Miller (Aprilia), only lasted three laps before returning to the pits.

Click on the following link for full results from Sachsenring.