Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi, on a Yamaha, kept title-chasing Australian Casey Stoner on tenterhooks with victory in the Portuguese MotoGP on Sunday.
Rossi came over the finish line just ahead of Dani Pedrosa after a tense battle with the Spaniard to claim just his fourth victory of the season.
Pedrosa claimed second place, ahead of Stoner, who finished a distant third as Rossi and Pedrosa engaged in a tight duel in a bid to close the gap on the Australian.
With 100 points still up for grabs in the remaining four races, Stoner, who has won eight times this year, holds a 76-point lead over a resurgent Rossi going into next week’s Japanese leg of the world championship.
Rossi is in second place ahead of Pedrosa, who has a 99-point deficit on Stoner, who, if he succeeds, will become the first Australian world champion since Mick Doohan in 1994 and1995.
Earlier on Sunday, Spaniard Alvaro Bautista, riding an Aprilia, won his second race of the 250cc World Championship ahead of Italian Andrea Dovizioso and Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo.
Bautista was initially well behind Dovizioso and Lorenzo before catching them in 14th lap and taking the lead in the 16th to 26th and last lap.
Lorenzo, riding an Aprilia, leads the championship with 257 points, ahead of Honda rider Dovizioso on 206 points and Alex De Angelis, riding an Aprilia, on 197.
In the 125cc category Spaniard Hector Faubel got the celebrations started early for Aprilia with victory ahead of Hungarian teammate Gabor Talmacsi and his Spanish compatriot Pol Espargaro on Sunday. — AFP
