Valencia MotoGP: Colin Edwards grateful to Ben Spies

Colin Edwards gave new Monster Yamaha team-mate Ben Spies a massive post race hug in Valencia yesterday after the Texan secured a brilliant fifth place in the 2009 MotoGP world championship.  

Trailing factory Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso by four-points going into the 30-lap season finale, Edwards made a superb start and took fourth place from Toni Elias on the seventh lap.

At that point, Dovizioso was languishing outside of the top ten, meaning Edwards would secure fifth overall behind dominant foursome of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner. 

Italian Dovizioso then produced a brilliant surge, the former world 125GP champion moving from outside the top ten into seventh place on lap 16.

But Spies did his fellow Texan and new team-mate a massive favour. Seventh would have been good enough to clinch fifth overall for Dovizioso.

But World Superbike champion Spies came on strong in the final stages of the race and he moved into seventh on lap 25.

That overtake secured Edwards fifth and he went to embrace Spies immediately after the race.

The Texas Tornado said: “Things really fell my way but over the course of the season I feel like I really deserve fifth place in the championship. At best I was thinking I could finish fifth in the race but then I saw Casey (Stoner) wasn’t on the grid and immediately I thought ‘well, there’s some more points up for grabs.

“I got a great start and the bike was working awesome but those three out front were untouchable. I don’t know how they do it, what they’ve got or what they eat for breakfast, but I couldn’t run their pace.

“In the middle of the race I couldn’t carry the corner speed I wanted to so I tried to smooth myself out and just rode out of my skin. I was doing the best I could but wasn’t sure where Dovizioso was. It turns out Ben got by him and that point proved crucial. I gave him a big hug after the race and anything he wants me to buy him, he can have it.

“I’m glad he adapted so quickly to the Yamaha because him riding so well is what got me that fifth overall and I’m really looking forward to working with him. To finish fifth in the championship is a great feeling when you look at the talent in front of me. I was consistent all season and feel like I rode some of my best races to get this final position.”

Despite his bust-up last winter with James Toseland over the controversial crew chief switch, the 35-year-old still passed on his best wishes to the British rider as he departed MotoGP in emotional scenes.

Edwards added: “I wish James all the best for the future too and am convinced he can carry on Yamaha’s success in World Superbikes.”