For us, the mid-season break in GP action seemed reminiscent of the Monday night following the Superbowl, something is just missing. As the hot tires penciled in the fast lines around the Brno circuit, we remembered just what it was: lightning fast motorcycles of course! High winds and poor weather conditions slowed the race pace – the fastest lap of the actual race was over a second slower than Dani Pedrosa's fastest qualifying run.
For much of the field, the Czech Republic represented a chance to get back on track and realize the goals they have set forth, and for others those goals seem just out of reach.
Take, for example, the stark contrast of the top two finishers. For winning rider Jorge Lorenzo, the goal of clinching his first world championship seems solidified by his outstanding performance, leaving the Czech round with a 77-point buffer as the show heads back the States. For runner up Dani Pedrosa, the goal of not only emerging victorious but also putting the heat on Lorenzo seemed far off, as he cleared the checkers ahead of third place finisher Casey Stoner, but yielded almost 5.5 seconds to Lorenzo's Yamaha in the process.
Off the box, Ben Spies made good use of a front-row start, clinching fourth position by edging out Valentino Rossi, who rounded out the top five. If Spies lands in The Doctors' vacated Fiat Yamaha seat, as expected, he could become the man to watch in 2011. As the official news of Rossi's departure to Ducati (and subsequent Italian Stallionry) sets in, we can't help but wonder if we will continue to see reserved performances from Rossi for the remainder of this season as he focuses on staying healthy for his Desmo-debut.
Also worth noting was the performance of Randy de Puniet, who became the second rider this year (the other being Rossi, of course) to return from a badly broken leg and finish within the top ten, even if it was just barely. It's good to see the Frenchman back in the game. If its official results and championship standings you're after, click past the break. If you yearn for an up close look at the action, pack your bags and head to Indy for the next round August 29th!
[Source: motogp.com | Image: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images]
For much of the field, the Czech Republic represented a chance to get back on track and realize the goals they have set forth, and for others those goals seem just out of reach.
Take, for example, the stark contrast of the top two finishers. For winning rider Jorge Lorenzo, the goal of clinching his first world championship seems solidified by his outstanding performance, leaving the Czech round with a 77-point buffer as the show heads back the States. For runner up Dani Pedrosa, the goal of not only emerging victorious but also putting the heat on Lorenzo seemed far off, as he cleared the checkers ahead of third place finisher Casey Stoner, but yielded almost 5.5 seconds to Lorenzo's Yamaha in the process.
Off the box, Ben Spies made good use of a front-row start, clinching fourth position by edging out Valentino Rossi, who rounded out the top five. If Spies lands in The Doctors' vacated Fiat Yamaha seat, as expected, he could become the man to watch in 2011. As the official news of Rossi's departure to Ducati (and subsequent Italian Stallionry) sets in, we can't help but wonder if we will continue to see reserved performances from Rossi for the remainder of this season as he focuses on staying healthy for his Desmo-debut.
Also worth noting was the performance of Randy de Puniet, who became the second rider this year (the other being Rossi, of course) to return from a badly broken leg and finish within the top ten, even if it was just barely. It's good to see the Frenchman back in the game. If its official results and championship standings you're after, click past the break. If you yearn for an up close look at the action, pack your bags and head to Indy for the next round August 29th!
[Source: motogp.com | Image: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images]
| Pos. | Points | Num. | Rider | Nation | Team | Bike | Km/h | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | 99 | Jorge LORENZO | SPA | Fiat Yamaha Team | Yamaha | 164.4 | 43'22.638 |
| 2 | 20 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | SPA | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 164.1 | +5.494 |
| 3 | 16 | 27 | Casey STONER | AUS | Ducati Team | Ducati | 163.7 | +11.426 |
| 4 | 13 | 11 | Ben SPIES | USA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 163.6 | +13.723 |
| 5 | 11 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | ITA | Fiat Yamaha Team | Yamaha | 163.3 | +17.930 |
| 6 | 10 | 69 | Nicky HAYDEN | USA | Ducati Team | Ducati | 162.7 | +26.815 |
| 7 | 9 | 5 | Colin EDWARDS | USA | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | 162.3 | +33.396 |
| 8 | 8 | 33 | Marco MELANDRI | ITA | San Carlo Honda Gresini | Honda | 162.0 | +39.406 |
| 9 | 7 | 40 | Hector BARBERA | SPA | Paginas Amarillas Aspar | Ducati | 162.0 | +39.639 |
| 10 | 6 | 14 | Randy DE PUNIET | FRA | LCR Honda MotoGP | Honda | 161.9 | +40.893 |
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