Stoner races to another MotoGP win

Australian leads from start to finish to extend lead at top of the championship.

Czech MotoGP podium

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Stoner eased to his seventh victory of the season [AFP]

World Championship leader Casey Stoner dominated the Czech MotoGP from start to finish in Brno to widen his consolidate his position at the top of the riders’ standings.

The victory at the undulating 5.4km Masaryk Ring on Sunday was the Ducati rider’s seventh win in 12 races this season.

“Everything worked perfectly today, the bike, the tyres. I was fast at the beginning … so I could relax slightly towards the end,” the 21-year-old Australian said.

American John Hopkins, who started from the front row, was the only rider able to keep up with Stoner’s blistering pace in the first half of the race.

His challenge fell off as the race proceeded but he still managed to guide his Suzuki to second place, 7.903 seconds behind Stoner.
   
Unreal pace

“Casey’s pace was unreal, he didn’t make a mistake the whole race so it was tough to catch him,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins’ compatriot and reigning world champion Nicky Hayden shrugged off some disappointing practice sessions to clinch third place, a further 5.197 seconds behind.
   
Stoner leads the championship with 246 points and has extended the gap to 60 points over seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi, who finished a disappointing seventh at his favourite track. The Yamaha rider was 22.485 seconds behind the winner.
   
Hayden’s team mate Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, who crossed the line fourth, is third overall with 168 points.

Earlier in the day, Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo won the 250cc Grand Prix, the Aprilia rider coming home ahead of Italian Andrea Dovizioso while Mika Kallio of Finland was third.
  
Spaniard Hector Faubel, also on an Aprilia, won the 125cc category of the Czech leg of the motorcycling world championship ahead of Italian Mattia Pasini and Czech Lukas Pesek.

Source: News Agencies