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WORLD SPORT

Spaniard Pedrosa wins British GP

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Pedrosa now trails championship leader Hayden by 26 points.

DONINGTON, England -- Spaniard Dani Pedrosa romped to victory in the British Grand Prix on at Donington on Sunday to pile pressure on MotoGP championship leader Nicky Hayden.

American Hayden, Pedrosa's Honda team mate and winner of a dramatic Dutch TT last weekend, saw his lead slashed to 26 points from 42 after finishing a disappointing seventh at Donington Park.

Pedrosa took the chequered flag 3.864 seconds ahead of world champion Valentino Rossi.

It was a brilliant performance by the Italian runner-up, who started from 12th place and raced with the pain of a fractured hand.

Italian Marco Melandri, back in the thick of the action only two weeks after he was flown to hospital following a spectacular multiple rider pile-up at the first corner in Barcelona, completed the podium.

Hayden has 153 points with Pedrosa's second victory in the top category lifting the 20-year-old MotoGP rookie to 127. Yamaha's Rossi, winner at Donington for the past two years, is third on 118.

"It was overall a fantastic weekend," said Pedrosa, who dominated practice, started from pole position after the fastest lap ever at the Midlands circuit and then claimed a race lap record as well. "It is a perfect result."

Rossi was pretty pleased as well after fighting through the pack to the delight of a crowd chanting his name.

"It was a great race. For the people, and also for me, it is like a victory," he said.

"It was a difficult weekend for us. After Assen I made a 100 percent effort to come here in a good shape, I did a lot of training and treatment for the wrist.

"In fact, the wrist was not so bad...I don't have the maximum power but the pain is better. We just struggled too much with the bike during practice," said the Italian, who broke his hand in practice for the Dutch race.

Melandri seized the lead at the start and held on for the first third of the race, repeatedly closing the door on Pedrosa.

The Spaniard was lucky not to fall on the fifth of the 30 scheduled laps, wobbling and running wide under braking into the Melbourne Loop as Suzuki's John Hopkins powered through to second place.

Pedrosa soon forced his way back to second, retook the lead and then vanished into the distance to cross the line in splendid isolation.

Masterful display

As he disappeared, Rossi reeled in the rest with a masterful display at a circuit that the London resident has come to consider a home from home.

The 27-year-old showman diced with Melandri, who fell but miraculously recovered position, over the closing laps with the two trading second place before the champion made his move stick at the final hairpin.

"It's been so hard for every single point," said Melandri, who lives just down the road from the Donington circuit. "After some laps I was really tired but I said to myself I have to keep going to the end.

"I'm very happy about the result but not so happy about the first part," he added.

Australian Casey Stoner finished fourth ahead of American Kenny Roberts, on a bike built by his father and namesake, with Yamaha's Texan Colin Edwards sixth.

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