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Rossi roars to Qatar MotoGP prize
 Rossi hit back in style after his worst start to a MotoGP season DOHA, Qatar -- World champion Valentino Rossi roared back from his worst start to a MotoGP season with victory in Qatar on Saturday. It was the 27-year-old Italian's 54th win in the top category, equalling the tally of Australia's former champion Mick Doohan. The Yamaha rider, with only two points to his credit after falling at the first corner in the season-opening Spanish round, hit the front with 13 laps to go and held off a late challenge from American Nicky Hayden's Honda. Hayden went in front four laps from the finish but Rossi powered back to follow up his win at the Losail circuit last year with another success. Italian Loris Capirossi, the winner in Spain, finished third for Ducati to keep the lead in the championship with 41 points after two rounds. Rossi, arriving in Qatar with only two points after being knocked off his Yamaha at the first corner in Spain, took the lead on lap 10 and fought a lively battle with Honda's Hayden in the closing stages. The American seized the lead four laps from the end on a gusty afternoon at the Losail desert circuit but his advantage was short-lived. Rossi, winner in Qatar last year, powered back on the next lap to beat Hayden by nearly a second. "The numbers are always important and to have won like (as many as) Mick (Doohan) is a great pleasure. But this victory is very much more important," said Rossi, who moved up to fourth in the championship with 27 points. "We had difficult times in Jerez and even here it was tough going during the qualifying. But I'm happy that I was able to pull off this win." Great battle"For me, this was the first race," added Rossi. "It was a difficult race, very funny and a great battle from the beginning...I was quite well in front but Nicky was able to come back and overtake me again. "The championship is very long and I'm sure it will be a great battle this year." Hayden, on the podium for the sixth race in a row, had mixed feelings after coming close to victory: "He (Rossi) had his head down in the last few laps and that's a tough challenge," he said. "I have six podiums in a row, which shows we are getting consistent, but now we need to step up one step." Capirossi, a grand prix veteran, was delighted with third place ahead of Spanish team mate Sete Gibernau. "This track is the worst one for us and we finished on the podium again," he said. Honda's 20-year-old Australian rookie Casey Stoner failed in his bid to become the youngest race winner in the top category but led the first nine laps from pole position and impressed onlookers. He finished fifth with Spaniard Dani Pedrosa sixth. Spain's Jorge Lorenzo scored his second successive victory for Aprilia in the 250cc class after a dramatic last-lap duel with Italian Andrea Dovizioso. The lead changed hands twice, with Lorenzo pipping the Honda rider by a mere 0.077 seconds. Spain's Alvaro Bautista, riding an Aprilia, won the 125cc race for his second victory in a row. KTM rider Mika Kallio of Finland was second, 6.765 behind. 
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