Misano MotoGP: Dani Pedrosa strolls to easy win

Dani Pedrosa claimed a routine start-to-finish victory in another uninspiring MotoGP race at the Misano circuit this afternoon.

Pedrosa romped to his second win in a week with a crushing fourth win of 2010 to cut Jorge Lorenzo’s points lead to 63 with just six races remaining.

The 28-lap race was over as a contest pretty much from the moment a fast starting Pedrosa got the holeshot from pole position.

He was close to 1.5s clear after just three laps with Fiat Yamaha rival Lorenzo powerless to offer any serious resistance.

Pedrosa was able to comfortably streak away for a trademark win, his eventual winning margin of 1.900s barely doing justice to his complete domination.

Lorenzo did his best to mount an early challenge and quickly disposed of Aussie Casey Stoner on the first lap.

But he couldn’t match the Repsol Honda rider’s blistering speed, though he too was unchallenged for second as held on to maintain his 100 per cent podium record this season.

The Spaniard never looked like being caught by home favourite Valentino Rossi in a dull affair.

The Italian did give a sizeable home crowd something to cheer when he passed Stoner for third place on lap ten.

He immediately ran wide letting Stoner’s factory Ducati back through, but Rossi made another overtake stick on lap 11.

He was easily able to stretch away from the 2007 world champion to claim only his second podium since he returned from the broken right leg he suffered in Mugello.

Andrea Dovizioso relegated Stoner back to fifth place on lap 12 and briefly threatened to ruin Rossi’s hopes of a podium before fading in the closing stages.
Stoner finished in a distant and lonely fifth place with Ben Spies rounding out the top six.

The Texan made a terrible start and was languishing down in tenth on the opening lap before he fought his way back through the field.

He claimed sixth from Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate Colin Edwards on lap 13. Edwards claiming seventh after he had an early tussle with Marco Simoncelli.
The Italian though finished last in 14th after he crashed out of sixth place on the fifth lap.

Nicky Hayden once again suffered a nightmare in Misano after he failed to successfully negotiate the first corner.

The American crashed at the first corner in 200y before remounting to finish 13th. He was taken out at the first corner last season but this afternoon the 2007 world champion contributed to his own downfall.

He was involved in a first corner incident with veteran Italian Loris Capirossi and crashed out. Capirossi was unable to restart with his factory Suzuki GSV-R damaged beyond repair while Hayden soldiered on before retiring on lap four.