Lorenzo cruises to Italian MotoGP win

Tuesday, 17 July 2012 00:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo easily won the Italian MotoGP on Sunday, stretching his advantage at the top of the riders’ championship with an assured performance.

Spaniard Lorenzo took the lead from compatriot Dani Pedrosa on the second corner and never relinquished it, finishing over five seconds ahead of his countryman and grabbing his fifth win in nine races this season.

“All weekend I’ve ridden well and clean,” Lorenzo told reporters. “It was a tough race, I didn’t think I would be able to get away, Pedrosa was always close but in the end I managed it and I rode much calmer.

“I’m happy to have the points on the board.” The 2010 champion is now on 185 points, 19 ahead of Honda’s Pedrosa in second.

The pair both dominated the race, with Pedrosa himself finishing five seconds ahead of third-placed Italian Andrea Dovizioso, who was involved in an enthralling battle for a place on the podium. Dovizioso took third ahead of Stefan Bradl, Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow and Nicky Hayden, who all finished within two seconds of each other.

Casey Stoner, who was third in the championship before the race and fifth on the starting grid, finished eighth after misjudging a corner and running off the track with 13 laps to go

He raised eyebrows with some extremely aggressive riding in his efforts to make up the lost time.

In the day’s other races, Italian Andrea Iannone took first place in the Moto2 to cheer the home crowd, while Spain’s Maverick Vinales narrowly beat local boy Romano Fenati and Sandro Cortese in the Moto3.