The Return of Crashey Stoner

Australia’s Casey Stoner has thrown his championship aspirations down the road with his Ducati today in Misano. The reigning world champion has now crashed in the last three rounds, with two of those coming while protecting a comfortable lead handng Rossi the championship lead by 75 points with five rounds remaining.

It was an otherwise uneventful race at Misano, after Randy De Puniet got his customary exit out of the way early on lap one the race settled into a rhythm. Dani Pedrosa managed to hold up compatriots Toni Elias and Jorge Lorenzo until lap four when both Spaniards made their way into third and fourth.

 After eight laps Stoner had eked out a 3 second advantage over championship leader Valentino Rossi and was looking comfortable, so comfortable the Ducati rider decided to have a wee lie down in the Misano gravel.   

Stoner re-broke his scaphoid in bizarre circumstances during the week, appearing to reopen a break sustained in 2003, the accident appeared to be due to the weakness in his arm as a result of that injury, the Alice Ducati simply folding from under Stoner during a medium speed right hander. Regardless of the reason behind it the disappointing exit of Casey Stoner lit up the Italian crowd who’s enthusiasm didn’t waver even as Rossi settled into a comfortable rhythm at the front.

The battle for fifth provided some entertainment for the crowd as James Toseland and Chris Vermeulen closed on Andrea Dovisioso. The Tech 3 Yamaha passed the Honda of Dovioso with eight laps to go and the Rizla Suzuki of Vermeulen elbowed his way past the fading Dovisioso a lap later.  The three riders allowed Loris Capirossi to close up behind them as they battled, and when Vermeulen passed Toseland with six laps to go it was a Rizla double decker sandwich. Capirossi, Toseland and Dovisioso made the last lap interesting in the battle for sixth but it was Rossi crossing the line first ahead of team mate Lorenzo and Toni Elias.

Kawasaki riders Anthony West and John Hopkins rounded out the depleted field of fifteen. Honda’s Nicky Hayden failed to start due to a leg injury and De Puniet, De Angelis and Stoner all failed to finish.

Rossi now leads the championship by 75 points from Stoner.