Rossi's misfortune lets in Pedrosa

VALENCIA, Spain -- Dani Pedrosa clinched second place in the MotoGP championship after winning the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix in front of his home fans on Sunday.

The Spaniard headed off world champion Casey Stoner to triumph and overtake former No. 1 Valentino Rossi, whose race was ended by engine problems.

Seven-time world champion Rossi had started the race needing just one point to clinch second behind Stoner, but the result capped a miserable year for the Italian and his Yamaha team.

He was able to ride and maintain his record of never having missed a race in his career despite breaking three bones in his hand during qualifying on Saturday, but his brave bid came to nothing after starting from 17th on the grid.

Rossi was forced to retire on the 20th lap, allowing Pedrosa to make up a 24-point deficit, and finished outside of the top two for the first time in his career at the top level.

Pedrosa started the race in pole position on his Honda and beat Stoner's Ducati by more than five seconds despite losing the lead to the Australian early on.

Stoner clinched his first title in Japan on September 23, and ended the season 125 points ahead of Pedrosa - who was one in front of Rossi.

The 22-year-old Pedrosa, who has won the world title in the 125cc and 250cc categories, said: "This was not something I was expecting, I am very pleased. It was a fantastic race for me, the bike went really well."

American John Hopkins filled the final podium place to take fourth place overall behind Rossi.

Marco Melandri finished the race fourth on a Honda ahead of fellow Italian Loris Capirossi on a Ducati and Australia's Chris Vermuelen on a Suzuki in sixth.

Brazilian veteran Alex Barros ended his MotoGP career with a seventh placing, while Carlos Checa similarly bowed out in 12th.

Last year's world champion Nicky Hayden was eighth ahead of France's Randy de Puniet and Toni Elias of Spain.

In the 125cc race, Gabor Talmacsi became the first Hungarian to win a world motorcycling title when he finished second in the final race of the season behind Aprilia team-mate Hector Faubel of Spain.

Finnish rider Mika Kallio won his second race of the 250cc series, heading off San Marino's Alex de Angelis and another Aprilia rider Alex Debon of Spain.

Debon recorded his first podium position at the age of 31, while his compatriot and championship winner Jorge Lorenzo was back in seventh. E-mail to a friend

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