 |
|
||
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
   | 
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Rossi waiting after Capirossi wins
MOTEGI, Japan -- Valentino Rossi will have to wait another week to claim the MotoGP world title for the fifth year in a row after crashing out of the Japanese Grand Prix. Ducati's Loris Capirossi won the race -- his first victory since Barcelona in 2003 -- ahead of his fellow Italian Max Biaggi. Japan's Makoto Tamada followed his win here for Honda last year with third place. Yamaha rider Rossi needed a top-two finish to be certain of winning the title with five races remaining in the season but made contact with Marco Melandri as the two Italians battled it out for third place just after halfway through the race. The impact sent both skittling into the gravel trap and out of the race. Melandri was carted off on a stretcher while Rossi returned to the pits on the back of a scooter. "I made good start from the fourth row of the grid and was catching Marco in third place after he made a couple of mistakes," said Rossi. "Under braking I just clipped his rear wheel and we both crashed. I hope he is not in too much pain..." It was Rossi's first race crash of the season and first in nearly a year since the Qatar Grand Prix last October. Rossi, who has won nine of the 12 races this season, will now take his quest for a seventh world crown to Malaysia next weekend with a 112-point lead over Honda's Biaggi in the standings. To secure the championship, the 26-year-old has to win the race with arch-rival Biaggi finishing no better than fifth. Capirossi, who started from pole, took the lead from Biaggi on the 19th of 24 laps and although Biaggi made several attempts to re-take the lead, he was rebuffed at every turn and the Ducati took the chequered flag 1.47 seconds in front. "I'm really happy about today, but not only about today, about the whole week," said Capirossi. "We did a great job all weekend ... and it's a fantastic day." Biaggi said he had done as well as could considering the advantage Capirossi's Bridgestone tyres gave him. "I think we are the first Michelin guy up there," he said. "I tried my best and you know second was the best I could do." Tamada was delighted with his first podium of a disappointing, injury-blighted season. "I know that this year has not been the best season for me, so I'm happy to finally get a result," he said. 
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| © 2007 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. Site Map. |
|
External sites open in new window; not endorsed by CNN.com
Pay service with live and archived video. 
