MotoGP Assen: Race (updated regularly)

NEWEST AT TOP

Monster Energy

LONDON, UK, (June 27th, 2009)  The seventh round of the MotoGP World Championship was all about the history. Known as the Cathedral of motorcycle racing, the TT Circuit in Assen is the only track still on the MotoGP calendar from its opening season back in 1949. Held on the last Saturday in June as tradition dictates, the biggest sporting event in the Netherlands had near to 100,000 fans packing the grandstands this afternoon.

They bore witness to Monster Energy’s Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team #46) writing yet another chapter of MotoGP legend, by cruising to his 100th Grand Prix victory, and with it claiming the lead in this season’s championship.

Starting from pole position, Rossi was beaten into the first corner, but soon took the lead on the second lap of the race. Pounding out the fast laps, which incredibly rivalled his time from qualifying, not even his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo could match his pace this week. Eventually Rossi strolled to victory before celebrating with his fan club in typical style. Unfurling a huge banner with pictures of each and every one of his GP wins, Rossi duly accepted the rapturous applause of the typically boisterous Assen crowd.

“This is a very emotional moment and for sure I will remember this 100th victory for the rest of my life,” Rossi humbly admitted. “It’s great to reach this moment here at Assen because it’s the ‘Cathedral’ of motorcycle racing and the most historic track we go to. Today was a perfect race – I got a great start and my bike was incredible which meant that my pace was very strong. In fact I think it was better for everyone’s hearts, including my grandmother’s, not to have another last-lap battle like in Barcelona!”

He was not the only member of the Monster Army celebrating today, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Tech 3 Team enjoying their best results of the season. Colin Edwards (#5) battled hard in the early laps after a disappointing start, and was running a similar pace to the front runners. With crashes for Pedrosa and Dovizioso in front of him, Edwards had a solitary ride into fourth, his top result of the year so far.

His Monster Energy Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate James Toseland (#52) also enjoyed his best weekend of the year. Encouraged by additional support from Yamaha, Toseland had looked good throughout the practice sessions and headed up a seven man battle for sixth place for much of the race. In a real fairing-bashing encounter, he came up trumps in the dive for the line through the final chicane, sealing his first top six finish of the year.

In the 125cc class, Bradley Smith (Bancaja Aspar Aprilia #38) took his third podium of the season, but didn’t even get his moment in the sun as the decision to move him up to third place took place in the Race Direction office. Smith had grittily held off an aggressive charge by title rival Andrea Iannone to claim what he thought was fourth in the race, until an over-zealous manoeuvre from Nico Terol saw the Spaniard relegated to fifth place with a twenty-second penalty.

Monster Energy’s Danny Webb (DeGraaf Aprilia #99) fell foul of another rider’s over-enthusiasm, as he was taken out on the first lap of the race. Having looked more than capable of battling up front this weekend, it was a sad end to the day for the Briton, who was riding in his team’s home race.

MotoGP’s Monster Army now have a huge event ahead of them next weekend, as they head stateside to the Laguna Seca circuit in California, the home of the US Grand Prix.

About Monster Energy
Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it MotoGP, Superbikes, supermoto, skis, boards, snowmobiles, SX, rally, insane distance jumping, MX, off-road, trial, FMX, skate, MTB, wake, surf, snow, BMX - name it - the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check out all the types - Original Monster Energy, Monster Lo-Carb, Monster Ripper, available in the UK, Ireland, France, Monaco, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and Spain. Valentino Rossi digs ‘em. So will you. On the ‘Net at www.monsterarmy.com and www.monsterenergy.com

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Yamaha

Valentino Rossi wrote another chapter in his extraordinary career in Holland today, becoming only the second rider in history to reach 100 Grand Prix wins. 13 years after his very first victory in 125cc, the Italian took the hat-trick of pole position, fastest lap and race win with a perfect display in front of a huge Assen crowd to pass the century mark. It was his 40th win since joining Yamaha in 2004, meaning that over half of his premier-class wins have come with the Japanese factory.

His team-mate Jorge Lorenzo finished a strong second and had a milestone of his own to celebrate as it was the fiftieth podium of his career. Like Rossi, The Mallorcan has now finished on the podium in all but one round this season. Yamaha Tech 3 riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland made it four Yamahas in the top six after finishing fourth and sixth respectively.

The eight-time World Champion got a strong start from pole and was second at the end of the first lap, passing Casey Stoner soon after to take a lead which he never relinquished. With his M1 and Bridgestone tyres working perfectly throughout, his race pace was even better than he had shown in practice and he gradually stretched his lead from Lorenzo in the latter stages of the race to seal his historic victory. The 30-year-old Italian and his fan-club joined forces on the slow-down lap to unroll a 25-metre banner which pictured every one of his 100 wins, spanning a career which began when he was 17 years old.

Lorenzo had a poor start and lost several positions in the early melee, leaving him to fight his way back to the front in the early laps. It took him until lap five to come through to second but by then Rossi had opened up a gap of nearly 1.5 seconds. The 22-year-old looked to be closing on his team-mate a little at mid race distance but in the latter stages he began to lose a bit of confidence in the front and was happy enough to settle for second and an important 20 points.

With Stoner finishing third today the championship standings remain tight at the top - Rossi leads on 131 points, Lorenzo is second on 126 and Stoner is hard on his heels with 122. The MotoGP paddock now heads directly to California and Laguna Seca for round eight in a week’s time.

Valentino Rossi - Position: 1stTime: 42′14.611
“This is a very emotional moment and for sure I will remember this 100th victory for the rest of my life. When I reached 70, 100 seemed a long way away but here I am and it has been great, great fun getting here. It is down to so many people, like Jeremy and my guys who have been with me for ten years and all of the team who always give 100% and always give me the best bike possible. Especially however I have to thank the friends who have been with me my whole life and my father Graziano, who won here in Assen 30 years ago when I was a baby, and my mother Stefania, because they have always supported me. It’s great to reach this moment here at Assen because it’s the ‘Cathedral’ of motorcycle racing and the most historic track we go to. Today was a perfect race - I got a great start and my bike was incredible which meant that my pace was very strong. In fact I think it was better for everyone’s hearts not to have another last-lap battle like in Barcelona! I had a good advantage from Lorenzo in some parts of the track and it was a great ride for me. Now I have 100 wins and I’m only the second rider to arrive at this number, but Agostini still has 22 more and for me he is still the greatest. 100 is a great result but the atmosphere in our team is wonderful and the motivation is still as high as ever - we want to win a few more races together yet!”

Jorge Lorenzo - Position: 2ndTime: +5.368
“First of all I have to say congratulations to Valentino because this is an incredible thing to achieve and this day belongs to him. Unfortunately I didn’t get a good start today and I had to take a few risks to pass people and come back to the front. Once I did I tried to go after Valentino but in some places I just wasn’t as fast as him; he was riding 36.5s every time and I didn’t really have quite enough confidence to push that hard today because the bike didn’t feel perfect. As the race went on I started to feel the front tyre ‘close’ a bit and I decided that it was safer to come home in second! Another podium is a great result; it’s my fiftieth and we continue to be very strong this season so I am happy. I am only five points from the lead and we are in a good position going to Laguna, which I am very excited about.”

Davide Brivio - Team Manager
“100 victories speak for themselves! For all of us in this team it’s a huge honour and pleasure to work with Valentino because for sure he is one of the greatest in history, something he’s shown again today. Furthermore, working with him is always great fun and we enjoy every weekend. This is a very important piece of history for Yamaha as well because 40 of these wins have been here with us, more than with any other manufacturer and the majority of his wins in this class. When we started together in 2004 it was impossible to think of targets like this and I know that everyone involved and all of Yamaha’s employees will always remember this time. I think I speak on behalf of everyone by saying thank you to Vale for these memories and thank you for joining Yamaha!”

Daniele Romagnoli - Team Manager
“Today we were able to get a great podium, which is very important for our championship with Jorge showing once again that he is very competitive. Unfortunately we had a small problem at the start and then, while trying to recover, Jorge put a lot of pressure on the front tyre. Anyway, he rode a very clever race and was able to manage the package until the end and get an excellent second place. Now we fly to Laguna Seca, where we are confident we will be able to put in another good performance. Yamaha has the best bike on the track and this gives us strong motivation for the future.”

Double Dutch delight for Monster Tech 3 Yamaha Team
Colin Edwards and James Toseland raced to superb top six finishes at the historic Assen circuit today, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo claiming fourth and sixth respectively.

American Edwards equalled his best result of 2009 with a brilliant fourth position that moved the 35-year-old to within two-points of fourth place in the overall standings.

And British rider Toseland roared back to form with an outstanding performance in one of the most intense battles witnessed in the 800cc MotoGP era to claim a thoroughly deserved top six finish.

Edwards made a good start from fifth on the grid and passed Chris Vermeulen on lap five to claim fifth and was exerting intense pressure on Andrea Dovizioso when the Italian crashed on lap 11. That left Edwards to claim fourth and maintain his 100 per cent points-scoring record in 2009.

Behind Edwards, Toseland was embroiled in an incredible seven-rider battle for most of the race that captivated a crowd of 96,152 fans.

Adapting brilliantly to a new set-up inspired by Fiat Yamaha Team Director Masahiko Nakajima, Toseland moved into sixth place on lap 11 and produced a masterclass of riding under pressure to hold off the likes of Mika Kallio, Loris Capirossi and Nicky Hayden.

As the incredible battle unfolded to a gripping finale, Toseland slipped back to ninth on the last lap before he took advantage of a series of mistakes to claim his first top six finish of the season.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team now moves to the American round in Laguna Seca next weekend - home race for Edwards and title sponsor Monster - brimming with confidence.

Colin Edwards - Position: 4th Time: +0′29.114
“Finally I got a decent start and the longer wheelbase bike helped me get off the line. When Dovizioso came by I was biting my teeth to stay with him and keep the pressure on. But then I saw Dovizioso crash in front of me and just before that I’d had a moment with the right side of the front. I’d done 32-laps on that tyre yesterday but coming in and out of the pits all of the time it’s hard to get an accurate assessment of what’s going to happen. I just held station after that because I could see I wasn’t catching (Casey) Stoner and I was holding Vermeulen off comfortably. My target was just to ride without making any mistakes and keep the momentum going. I rode my hardest but this year in MotoGP it is so hard just to get a podium. The field is so strong now and it’s the hardest year I’ve ever had in MotoGP. I’ve ridden nowhere near as hard as that in the past and been on the podium. But I’m close to fourth in the championship and I was only beaten by the three fastest guys in the world today, so I’m happy with the job I’m doing. I can’t wait for Laguna now and hopefully I’ll be able to go better and get a podium for Monster, Tech 3 and all the American fans.”

James Toseland - Position 6th Time: +0′39.347
“I was a bit nervous on the start because I’d no experience with a new clutch set-up we were running. The crash in the warm-up meant I didn’t try it before the race, but I did a pretty good start but still lost three or four places. I knew I’d got a pretty good race set-up so just tried to stay calm and in the first couple of laps I took advantage of that to get into the top ten. It was an incredible battle for most of the race and I knew I wasn’t much stronger than the rest and I knew if I got to the front that it wasn’t going to be a case of me pulling away. I knew once I was at the front of the bunch that it would be a case of protecting it. That’s exactly what I did but it was nearly all spoiled on the last lap. I was getting ready to pass Mika at the last corner when Elias came under me at Turn 10. That let Loris through too and I’d gone from sixth to ninth! It was so chaotic I didn’t even see Kallio crash and I thought when Elias dived under Loris at the last chic ane that they might run off. Fortunately for me they did and I took advantage of it, and leading that group for so long I think I deserved sixth. It has been great to work with Mr Nakajima and I feel quite privileged to have his help and it just shows that I’m still on Yamaha’s thoughts and they want me to get up to speed.”

Herve Poncharal - Team Manager
“That was easily the best race of the season for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and I’m delighted because everybody has put in a lot of hard work. Colin was very impressive again and again he is the best non-factory rider, which considering how tough the competition is now, that is a great achievement. I have to say massive congratulations to James. He’s not had an easy time but he was able to lead an incredible fight in a group that included some of the very best riders in this championship. It was not easy to lead that group like he did but he did an unbelievable job and he definitely deserved that top six. He is a fighter and he proved that today and it was great that we played a big part in Yamaha’s success today, with all four bikes in the top six. I’d also like to say a big thanks to Mr Nakajima from Yamaha. He made an extra special effort and given big support to James this weekend. Now we go to Colin’s home race and a huge race for Monster in very confident mood .”

Circuit Length: 4555
Temp: 24
Weather: Dry
Lap Record: 1′36.411 (John Hopkins, 01/01/2006)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1′35.520 (Casey Stoner, 28/06/2008)
Last Years Winner: Casey Stoner
2009 MotoGP Netherlands - Assen 27/06/2009
Race 1 - 26 Laps
Pos.     Rider     Manu.     Nat.     Total Time
1     Valentino Rossi     Yamaha     ITA     42′14.611
2     Jorge Lorenzo     Yamaha     ESP     0′05.368
3     Casey Stoner     Ducati     AUS     0′23.113
4     Colin Edwards     Yamaha     USA     0′29.114
5     Chris Vermeulen     Suzuki     AUS     0′33.605
6     James Toseland     Yamaha     GBR     0′39.347
7     Randy De Puniet     Honda     FRA     0′39.543
8     Toni Elias     Honda     ESP     0′39.774
9     Nicky Hayden     Ducati     USA     0′39.823
10     Loris Capirossi     Suzuki     ITA     0′40.673
11     Alex De Angelis     Honda     SMR     0′46.010
12     Marco Melandri     Kawasaki     ITA     0′57.777
13     Sete Gibernau     Ducati     ESP     1′05.366
14     Niccolo Canepa     Ducati     ITA     1′09.897
15     Yuki Takahashi     Honda     JPN     1′09.930

Best Lap
Rider     Manu.     Nat.     Total Time
Valentino Rossi     Yamaha     ITA     1′36.558

Rider Standings     27/06/2009
Pos.     Rider     Manu.     Nat.     Points
1.    Valentino Rossi    Yamaha    ITA    131
2.    Jorge Lorenzo    Yamaha    ESP    126
3.    Casey Stoner    Ducati    AUS    122
4.    Andrea Dovizioso    Honda    ITA    69
5.    Daniel Pedrosa    Honda    ESP    67
6.    Colin Edwards    Yamaha    USA    67
7.    Loris Capirossi    Suzuki    ITA    55
8.    Marco Melandri    Kawasaki    ITA    54
9.    Chris Vermeulen    Suzuki    AUS    53
10.    Randy De Puniet    Honda    FRA    51
11.    James Toseland    Yamaha    GBR    39
12.    Toni Elias    Honda    ESP    31
13.    Alex De Angelis    Honda    SMR    30
14.    Nicky Hayden    Ducati    USA    26
15.    Mika Kallio    Ducati    FIN    26

Manufacturer Standings     27/06/2009
Pos.     Manufacturer     Points
1.    Yamaha    165
2.    Ducati    122
3.    Honda    98
4.    Suzuki    71
5.    Kawasaki    54

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Ducati Marlboro

The Ducati Marlboro Team had a mixed weekend at Assen, with some positive results balanced out by a few difficulties. The steps forward in the bike’s performance were a definite positive, and that allowed Casey Stoner to take yet another podium finish despite suffering physically once more during the race. Nicky Hayden also had a great day after a brilliant start, and after battling hard for sixth throughout the race, only finished in eighth due to a technical glitch.

Casey Stoner suffered throughout the weekend at Assen, with the physical condition which had already affected him in Catalunya worsening as the days went on. As difficult as a GP weekend is already, his physical condition just added to the obstacles to overcome as he was forced to race unwell. Despite that, he still managed to take home a podium finish, which was clearly a very positive result.

CASEY STONER (Ducati Marlboro Team) 3th
“I’ve been feeling fine all week but started to feel run down again on Friday and I’ve just got worse as the weekend has gone on. I’ve taken every kind of supplement and vitamin tablet you can think of but nothing seems to have worked, so it is obviously something we need to have looked at closer because I can’t keep going like this and it is costing us points. Thankfully I had a fantastic bike underneath me again today and I owe the  team for that. A big thank also to Dott. Macchiagodena and our physiotherapist Freddie (Dente), who took good care of me both in Catalunya and here. Unfortunately we don’t have much time to get fit for Laguna but we’ll see what we can do.”

NICKY HAYDEN – (Ducati Marlboro Team) 8th
“When you start from 13th you are always going to have a lot of work to do but that was the best bike I’ve had underneath me all season so I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to the team for that, they have worked so hard. I got a great start and was able to lead the second group for a while until a couple of guys came past and I lost my rhythm a bit. I made a little mistake under braking on the back straight, ran wide and lost a lot of time but I fought back and got in with the group again. I was having great fun but unfortunately the left handlebar came kind of loose about halfway through the race and cost me a lot of time - that’s when a lot of the guys got past me. I know I’m coming out with a lot of excuses this year but a loose handlebar at that speed is pretty scary! The guys are looking at how it happened. Anyway, man it was a hard battle. I know we were only fighting for fifth or sixth but it felt like there was a title on the line out there! Big respect to everybody in the group though. Elias made a big mistake but everybody left it all out on the track today and we all shook hands afterwards. It was good to be a part of the battle.”

LIVIO SUPPO -  Ducati MotoGP Project Director
I’m sorry for Casey, it was clearly a difficult weekend for him because of his physical condition. Obviously everything we’ve done for him up to now hasn’t worked so we need to help him as much as possible. Besides that I’m really pleased with Nicky Hayden’s performance who was a little unfortunate but has shown some really good progress, just like Mika Kallio who although he crashed had a great race nonetheless. Of course we need to give credit to Filippo (Preziosi) , Vitto (Guareschi) and all the guys at the factory for their hard work. Now we need to continue improving the bike and help Casey to overcome his physical problems, because that’s his biggest issue at the moment.”

Dutch TT 2009 Podium
1st Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), 2nd Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), 3rd Casey Stoner (Ducati)
Fastest lap: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1’36.558 – 169.825 Km/h

Circuit Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha - 2009), 1’36.558 – 169.825 Km/h
2009 Pole: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), 1’36.025 - 170.768 Km/h
Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati - 2008), 1’35.520 - 171.670 Km/h

Rider Championship Classification
1th  Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 131 points;  2nd Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 126; 3th  Casey Stoner (Ducati) 122; 4th Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 69; 5th Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 67; … 15th Nicky Hayden (Ducati) 26.

Constructor Championship Classification
1st Yamaha (165 punti); 2nd Ducati (122); 3rd Honda (98); 4th Suzuki (71); 5th Kawasaki (54)

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San Carlo Honda Gresini

The Dutch TT at Assen was a mixed bag of emotions for the San Carlo Honda Gresini Team as both Toni Elias and Alex de Angelis made positive steps forward in their performances on the bike. However the hard work was tempered after the race, with the decision of Race Direction to give Elias a 20-second penalty for running across the chicane on the final lap.

After a difficult start to the race, Toni Elias had fought his way admirably through the MotoGP pack and looked set for a sixth place finish until misfortune befell him at the final chicane. Attempting to seal the sixth place finish he ran too hard into the right-hand entry and ran across the gravel, crossing the line in eighth place. With the penalty he dropped back to twelfth, with his team-mate Alex de Angelis promoted to tenth spot. The two had enjoyed eventful races which saw a much improved performance from the duo.

Alex De Angelis (10th; 43’00.621):
“From the first lap to about three quarter distance it was a good race for me, fighting in a group for seventh place. We’ve been working hard to find rear traction recently and made some progress at the Barcelona test that has helped us here and I think we have gathered more interesting data to help us move forward. Unfortunately it was the front tyre that we struggled with today. From about halfway through it was pretty worn and the front was folding on me more and more. I almost crashed on a few occasions so decided it was best to back off and settle for the position I was in. It is not exactly where we want to be but I think we are getting closer and I’m excited about taking this progress to America.”

Toni Elias (12th 43’14.385):
“I’m happy because it looks like little by little we’re making progress. The problem here was that I qualified badly yesterday, I got a bad start today and a lost so much time at the start of the race fight with Sete, Talmacsi, Takahashi and Canepa. It was only three laps but it felt like a lifetime! Once I got free of them I was able to keep passing riders until there was three seconds of clear track in front of me to the second group, which I was able to close down. There were some really hard riders in that group and it was a lot of fun. I want to publicly apologise to Capirossi though because I was very late into the last chicane and ran us both off track. I feel bad for him but I just had to give it everything I had today. Race Direction have decided to penalise me for it, which I have to accept, but the most important thing about today was the performance and not the result.”

Fausto Gresini - Team Manager:
“It is disappointing that Race Direction have decided to penalise Toni because other than his start I thought he had a great race today, but to be honest it doesn’t bother us too much because the points are virtually irrelevant at the moment - the important thing is that we make progress and as far as we’re concerned we scored a solid eighth place. The team have done a great job on his bike and proved that we’re ready to fight much higher up the order. Alex also had a good race today and stepped up his pace from practice, which is exactly what we were looking for. Hopefully we get a bit more luck at Laguna!”

1.Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha 42’ 14” 611
2.Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha 42’ 19” 979
3.Casey STONER AUS Ducati 42’ 37” 724
4.Colin EDWARDS USA Yamaha 42’ 43” 725
5.Chris VERMEULEN AUS Suzuki 42’ 48” 216
6.James TOSELAND GBR Yamaha 42’ 53” 958
7.Randy DE PUNIET FRA Honda 42’ 54” 154
8.Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati 42’ 54” 434
9.Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Ducati 42’ 55” 284
10.Alex DE ANGELIS RSM Honda 43’ 00” 621
11.Marco MELANDRI ITA Kawasaki 43’ 12” 388
12.Toni ELIAS SPA Honda 43’ 14” 385 (penalizzato 20”)

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Bridgestone

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear: Soft, Medium
From his second pole position start of the season, Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi dominated the seventh round of the MotoGP championship in Assen. Using medium compound front and rear Bridgestone slicks, the Italian controlled the pace throughout, setting a new race lap record en route to clinching his 100th grand prix victory and taking the lead of the world championship.

Also using the medium compound slicks, Jorge Lorenzo finished second to take second position in the championship, and Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner finished a lonely third, still suffering from the illness he experienced in Catalunya. The top three are still only separated by nine points.

The competitive action however focused on a great race-long battle for sixth place. James Toseland, Mika Kallio, Nicky Hayden, Randy de Puniet, Toni Elias and Loris Capirossi were split by less than one second for most of the race, trading positions almost every lap. Of this group, only Kallio and Elias opted for Bridgestone’s soft compound rear slicks but were able to match the race pace of the medium compound runners, demonstrating the cross-over between Bridgestone’s compound options.

Despite the threat of rain intensifying in the morning and forecasts predicting a wet track, both the warm-up session and the 26-lap race were run in the dry. As predicted, and with a track temperature slightly higher than for yesterday’s qualifying session, the most popular tyre combination was the medium compound front and rear Bridgestone slicks, favoured for their durability.

Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director – Bridgestone Corporation
“I wish to congratulate Valentino for his fantastic result and reaching his 100th grand prix victory this weekend, especially as it has taken him into the lead of the world championship. I would also like to wish Casey a fast recovery from his illness, and hope that he is back on top form by Laguna next weekend. I am very pleased that with every rider now on Bridgestone tyres, we are seeing some very close competition this season which is excellent for the sport and for the spectators.”

Tohru Ubukata - Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager, Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
“Although the gaps at the front were quite big today, the pace that Valentino set was faster than the circuit’s lap record from last year, and Jorge also lapped at the same pace as the existing record, so I am happy with the performance of the medium compound Bridgestone slicks today. We saw that the medium compound was clearly the faster option over a race distance, although the performance of the soft compound was also good. The close battle for sixth position that lasted until the chequered flag showed that our tyres had good durability and consistency for the race distance, even the softer option.”

Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team – Race Winner
“Great, I am so happy! It’s a special day I will never forget in my life. To arrive at 100 wins is fantastic, and here is a special place because my father won here in 250cc. I am the second rider in history along with Agostini to reach this result. I felt confident on the bike from Thursday and made a good start in the race. With more temperature today I had great grip from the tyres so is possible to improve my time from yesterday. It was a perfect race. I have to thank all the guys close to me who help me so much, I am so happy.”

Top ten classification (Saturday 14:00 GMT+2)
Pos. Rider Team Race time Gap Front tyre Rear tyre Tyres
1 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 42m14.611s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
2 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 42m19.979s +5.368 Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
3 Casey Stoner Ducati Team 42m37.724s +23.113s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
4 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech3 42m43.725s +29.114s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
5 Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 42m48.216s +33.605s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
6 James Toseland Monster Yamaha Tech3 42m53.958s +39.347s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
7 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP 42m54.154s +39.543s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team 42m54.434s +39.823s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
9 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 42m55.284s +40.673s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick
10 Alex de Angelis San Carlo Honda Gresini 43m00.621s +46.010s Medium Medium Bridgestone slick

* Elias was given a 20 second penalty after the race by the stewards, demoting him from 8th, after an investigation into an incident with Capirossi
Weather: Dry. Ambient 23°C; Track 35°C (Bridgestone measurement)

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KTM

Red Bull KTM Moto Sport’s Marc Marquez of Spain finished in tenth place in the 125 cc GP on Saturday on the tradition-rich Assen circuit in the Netherlands in a race that was dominated by experienced riders from his home country.
Marquez, just 16-years old, started at tenth on the grid and in the middle of the race managed to fight his way up to seventh place but several incidents in the latter part meant he finally had to settle for tenth at the chequered flag. Marquez is currently in a very creditable sixth place in the championship standings with 55 points so far this season.

Marc Marquez:
We had a hard weekend here at Assen. The track was difficult for our bike. Everything was quite okay with the chassis and I had no problem with the handling but the engine was not perfect. We are missing something when it comes to the acceleration. My start was ok but there was a lot of fighting and touching in the first corners and I did lose some positions. I managed to close the gap to the group in front of us in the second half of the race but then Olive and I touched. We came off the track and some guys could pass me again in the final battle. I’m sure that we will improve for Sachsenring.”

The team’s other factory rider, the American Cameron Beaubier, was not so lucky and finished in gravel in the opening phase of the race after losing the back of his bike in a closely fought group. The young rookie was apologetic because he took another rider out with him in the incident.

Cameron Beaubier:
“I had a decent start and I was doing okay in the first couple corners and could pass a couple guys. But then everyone in the group was on the brakes a bit early in the very tight left corner and Tito Rabat touched me. I tried to go to the outside and hit the brakes hard so I would not tough Danny Webb but I then crashed and I took Danny with me. I have to go and apologize to him.”

Results
1. Sergio Gadea, Spain, Aprilia, 39:07.577
2. Nicolas Terol, Spain, Aprilia, 39:07.655
3. Julian Simon, Spain, Aprilia, 39:08.478
4. Bradley Smith, Britain, Aprilia, 39:19.933
5. Andrea Iannone, Italy, Aprilia, 39:19.977
Other KTM
10. Marc Marquez, Spain, KTM, 39:29.518
DNF Cameron Beaubier, USA, KTM

Standings
1. Julian Simon, Spain, Aprilia, 100 points
2. Bradley Smith, Britain, Aprilia, 95.5
3. Sergio Gadea, Spain, Aprilia, 84
4. Andrea Iannone, Italy, Aprilia, 82.5
5. Nicolas Terol, Spain, Aprilia, 77.5
Other KTM
6. Marc Marquez, Spain, KTM, 55
27. Cameron Beaubier, USA, KTM 1

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Repsol Honda

The 79th running of the Dutch TT was a fruitless one for Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso who were both unfortunate to fall in the early stages of the race. After a strong showing in the morning warm-up, Pedrosa made a fast start from second on the grid and led through the first few corners at the famous Assen circuit. The 23-year-old Spaniard was looking secure in fourth place on lap five when he lost the front of his RC212V at Turn 1 and slid off the track. Luckily Pedrosa was unhurt and, despite the disappointment today, his performance this weekend has confirmed his rapid return to fitness. He has vowed to come back fighting at the US Grand Prix next weekend.

Dovizioso was also looking confident in the opening laps and was able to ride at the pace that his performance in the practice sessions had promised. He immediately moved up one place from eighth on the grid in the first lap and soon climbed a further two places as he overtook Colin Edwards and Chris Vermeulen. When Pedrosa fell his team-mate moved into a strong fourth which he held for six laps before misfortune struck and he too went down in the same place as Pedrosa. Though obviously unsatisfied with the events in the race, both Repsol Honda riders were positive about the feedback from the latest RC212V chassis they used throughout the weekend and will go to the Laguna Seca circuit in California in search of the results their talents deserve.

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO – DNF – World Championship position: 4th 69 points
“At the beginning the race was going well and I was lapping with a fast pace - the same as in the practice sessions.  Fourth place was looking on the cards and I believe that would have been an achievable and a reasonable result for us, so I’m very disappointed about the crash at Turn 1. I had a good start but I was trapped by a bunch of riders and it took me a few laps to get by them. Once I was past I was feeling quite comfortable, although I wasn’t sure I could catch Stoner. Then, while I was in the middle of the corner at the maximum lean and I lost the front. I wasn’t on the brakes when it happened - we have to lean a long way over in the middle of the turn and that’s when it caught me out. The next race is only a week away so we have to put this result behind us and focus on Laguna. It’s a track I like and, in spite of today’s result, I’m confident when can get a good result there.”

DANI PEDROSA – DNF – World Championship position: 5th 67 points
“The good news is that I didn’t hurt myself in the fall and, considering my recent run of luck with injuries, this is a big relief. But of course I’m disappointed with the result today because, even though it’s unlikely I could have won the race, I was feeling strong on the bike again and believe I could have made the podium. My feeling on the machine this weekend has been much better and I have been able to ride close to my maximum potential, so I was quite confident coming into this race. I made a fast start and found a good rhythm, so the crash was very unexpected - for the whole weekend I had no warning this might happen. Now we have to forget this race and remain positive and focused because we have been the best in the past and I believe we can be the best again. The whole team deserves better than this and I know we will work even harder to take the fight to our rivals, even though they are very strong. Laguna is the next race and we will go there with the same positive mood that we brought to Assen this weekend.”

Race Result - Round 7
1     Valentino Rossi     42m 14.611     ITA     YAMAHA     Fiat Yamaha Team
2     Jorge Lorenzo     +5.368     SPA     YAMAHA     Fiat Yamaha Team
3     Casey Stoner     +23.113     AUS     DUCATI     Ducati Marlboro Team
4     Colin Edwards     +29.114     USA     YAMAHA     Tech 3 Yamaha
5     Chris Vermeulen     +33.605     AUS     SUZUKI     Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
6     James Toseland     +39.347     GBR     YAMAHA     Tech 3 Yamaha
7     Randy De Puniet     +39.543     FRA     HONDA     LCR Honda MotoGP
8     Nicky Hayden     +39.823     USA     DUCATI     Ducati Marlboro Team
9     Loris Capirossi     +40.673     ITA     SUZUKI     Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
10     Alex De Angelis     +46.010     SMR     HONDA     San Carlo Honda Gresini
11     Marco Melandri     +57.777     ITA     KAWASAKI     Hayate Racing Team
12     Toni Elias     +59.774     SPA     HONDA     San Carlo Honda Gresini
13     Sete Gibernau     +1m 05.366     SPA     DUCATI     Grupo Francisco Hernando
14     Niccolo Canepa     +1m 09.897     ITA     DUCATI     Pramac Racing
15     Yuki Takahashi     +1m 09.930     JAP     HONDA     Scot Racing Team MotoGP
16     Gabor Talmacsi     +1m 25.099     HUN     HONDA     Scot Racing Team MotoGP

Championship standings
1     Valentino Rossi     131 pts     ITA     YAMAHA     Fiat Yamaha Team
2     Jorge Lorenzo     126 pts     SPA     YAMAHA     Fiat Yamaha Team
3     Casey Stoner     122 pts     AUS     DUCATI     Ducati Marlboro Team
4     Andrea Dovizioso     69 pts     ITA     HONDA     Repsol Honda Team
5     Colin Edwards     67 pts     USA     YAMAHA     Tech 3 Yamaha
6     Dani Pedrosa     67 pts     SPA     HONDA     Repsol Honda Team
7     Loris Capirossi     56 pts     ITA     SUZUKI     Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
8     Marco Melandri     55 pts     ITA     KAWASAKI     Hayate Racing Team
9     Chris Vermeulen     53 pts     AUS     SUZUKI     Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
10     Randy De Puniet     51 pts     FRA     HONDA     LCR Honda MotoGP
11     James Toseland     39 pts     GBR     YAMAHA     Tech 3 Yamaha
12     Alex De Angelis     31 pts     SMR     HONDA     San Carlo Honda Gresini
13     Nicky Hayden     27 pts     USA     DUCATI     Ducati Marlboro Team
14     Toni Elias     27 pts     SPA     HONDA     San Carlo Honda Gresini
15     Mika Kallio     26 pts     FIN     DUCATI     Pramac Racing
16     Sete Gibernau     12 pts     SPA     DUCATI     Grupo Francisco Hernando
17     Niccolo Canepa     12 pts     ITA     DUCATI     Pramac Racing
18     Yuki Takahashi     9 pts     JAP     HONDA     Scot Racing Team MotoGP
19     Gabor Talmacsi     0 pts     HUN     HONDA     Scot Racing Team MotoGP

Circuit information
First race     1949 (Modified 2005)
GPs held     60
Laps     26
Race distance     118.430km / 73.580miles
Track length     4.555km / 2.830miles
Track width     10-14m
Longest straight     0.560km / 0.348miles
Corners     17 (11 right, 6 left)
Pole position     Left

TT Circuit Assen

Netherlands

T: +31 592 321 321
Email: info@tt-assen.com
Website: www.tt-assen.com

Circuit records
Pole position     1m35.520s (171.670Km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008)
Race lap     1m36.738s (169.509Km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008)
Race time     42m12.337s (168.361Km/h) Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008)
MotoGP Wins     6 (Giacomo Agostini 1968-72, 1974)
2008 Winner     Casey Stoner (Ducati)

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Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

A seven man battle for the lead for most of the 16 laps made it the race of the day at the Dutch Grand Prix and all the sweeter for Sturla Fagerhaug who took his 3rd Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup victory of the year. The 17 year old Norwegian finally managed to open an advantage but it was still 4 men fighting for the other podium places at the last corner with Daijiro Hiura coming out ahead of Jake Gagne, Florian Marino and Jakub Kornfeil.

“That was a great race,” said a sweaty Fagerhaug as he took his helmet off. “At least I didn’t make a mess of the start this time and I managed to get to the front quite early. Then I made a few mistakes and some others got past. I settled down and started to put in some good laps to try and get away but they stayed with me.”

“I really didn’t want it to come down to a big fight at the last corner, at least I just wanted to be fighting with only one other rider if I couldn’t get away completely. We were doing quite good lap times but there are three straights so if the others work on the slipstream it is easier for them to stay with you. I just kept pushing as hard as I could and finally I did get away. So then I just had to be smooth and not make any mistakes.”

Even when Fagerhaug did eventually make the break it was all thrills behind and one of the leading lights was Danny Kent who managed to repeatedly out manoeuvre the other Rookies with a daring inside pass at the Strubben, the corner onto the back straight. “It’s something that James Toseland told me and it really worked. I could pass the guys inside, then get back across as far as possible so it didn’t spoil the drive onto the straight. Sometimes I lost a little on the drive, sometimes not but it really helped me get past,” said the 15 year old Englishman.

“I wanted to get after Sturla so when I got into second I put my head down and pushed as hard as I could, I thought I could catch him. but then on the brakes the front folded under and I crashed,” concluded Kent.

When Kent fell on lap 14 the last chance of catching Fagerhaug went with him. Marino, Hiura, Gagne and Kornfeil continued the fight for the podium having dropped 15 year old Swede Alex Kristiansson who had been part of the lead battle early on.

Gagne, the 15 year old Californian was impressive in his first race at Assen. “I love the track, I was really enjoying myself, things were sliding around quite a bit towards the end but we were all having fun. I didn’t want to leave it to a big out-braking effort at the last corner so I tried to get away but they past me out the back on the last lap and it was all on into the last corner.”

Coming into the chicane it was Marino who had second but it wasn’t to be the Frenchman’s day to go to the podium. “I so wanted to walk up those steps, I pushed and pushed all race,” said the 16 year old. “Coming down to the last corner I was in front and I knew I had to be late but hold the line. As I braked and turned-in the front wheel tucked under, I had to let it go and I just ran a little wide, that was it, the others got through.”

“I still haven’t got to the podium but that was a great race, all the guys were riding hard and well, not messing each other up as at the earlier races, it was just great, it was Grand Prix racing,” concluded Marino with a smile despite his deep disappointment.

Hiura’s second was well deserved as he did not make such a great start from 8th on the grid and completed the first lap in the same position. He was soon on the move though and became one of the strongest in the 7 man battle. “That was great fun, a very good race,” said the 14 year old Japanese with his characteristic grin. “I pushed as hard as I could then Sturla got away from us but I knew we were fighting for the podium. We were all pushing hard into the last corner then Marino went on the grass and I got through.”

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LCR Honda

Assen, 27 June: the LCR Honda MotoGP rider Randy De Puniet was involved in a thrilling race crossing the line in 7th place in today’s 26-lap Ducth Grand Prix at Assen race track re inforcing his place as one of the championship’s top privateers. The seventh round of the season started today at 14:00 local time and was held in dry conditions and cloudy skies with Rossi celebrating his 100th victory followed by Lorenzo and Stoner.

Riding the Honda RC212V nr. 14, the 28-year-old showed his trademark getting good lap times on race trim in every session throughout the week end at the 4.555 Km circuit obtaining the quickest lap time on Thursday first free session. The Frenchman started from the fourth row and was up into ninth by the end of the first lap beginning a close battle with Hayden, Toseland, Elias and Capirossi for a top ten finish.

De Puniet – 7th
It has been a thrilling and stressful race for me. The grid position did not help us and I took a bad start but after the first corner I overtook some riders and was up to ninth by the end of the first lap. After that I caught a group of riders faster than me with better engines and could not pass them. Suddenly Toseland passed me after the back straight but he was on the limit and hit my machine. Once again I had to push to catch the group but then Elias came up and hit me on turn no. 3. However I stay focused and when Capirossi and Elias made a small mistake in the last corner I was ready to take the chance to pass them. After a difficult qualifying we deserve this 7th place. My squad made a very good job on the electronic system between the warm up and the race”.

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Monster Yamaha Tech3

Colin Edwards and James Toseland raced to superb top six finishes at the historic Assen circuit today, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team duo claiming fourth and sixth respectively.

American Edwards equalled his best result of 2009 with a brilliant fourth position that moved the 35-year-old to within two-points of fourth place in the overall standings.

And British rider Toseland roared back to form with an outstanding performance in one of the most intense battles witnessed in the 800cc MotoGP era to claim a thoroughly deserved top six finish.

Edwards made a good start from fifth on the grid and passed Chris Vermeulen on lap five to claim fifth and was exerting intense pressure on Andrea Dovizioso when the Italian crashed on lap 11. That left Edwards to claim fourth and maintain his 100 per cent points-scoring record in 2009.

Behind Edwards, Toseland was embroiled in an incredible seven-rider battle for most of the race that captivated a crowd of 96,152 fans.

Adapting brilliantly to a new set-up inspired by Fiat Yamaha Team Director Masahiko Nakajima, Toseland moved into sixth place on lap 11 and produced a masterclass of riding under pressure to hold off the likes of Mika Kallio, Loris Capirossi and Nicky Hayden.

As the incredible battle unfolded to a gripping finale, Toseland slipped back to ninth on the last lap before he took advantage of a series of mistakes to claim his first top six finish of the season.

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team now moves to the American round in Laguna Seca next weekend – home race for Edwards and title sponsor Monster – brimming with confidence.

Colin Edwards 4th – 67 points
“Finally I got a decent start and the longer wheelbase bike helped me get off the line. When Dovizioso came by I was biting my teeth to stay with him and keep the pressure on. But then I saw Dovizioso crash in front of me and just before that I’d had a moment with the right side of the front. I’d done 32-laps on that tyre yesterday but coming in and out of the pits all of the time it’s hard to get an accurate assessment of what’s going to happen. I just held station after that because I could see I wasn’t catching (Casey) Stoner and I was holding Vermeulen off comfortably. My target was just to ride without making any mistakes and keep the momentum going. I rode my hardest but this year in MotoGP it is so hard just to get a podium. The field is so strong now and it’s the hardest year I’ve ever had in MotoGP. I’ve ridden nowhere near as hard as that in the past and been on the podium. But I’m close to fourth in the championship and I was only beaten by the three fastest guys in the world today, so I’m happy with the job I’m doing. I can’t wait for Laguna now and hopefully I’ll be able to go better and get a podium for Monster, Tech 3 and all the American fans.”

James Toseland 6th – 39 points
“I was a bit nervous on the start because I’d no experience with a new clutch set-up we were running. The crash in the warm-up meant I didn’t try it before the race, but I did a pretty good start but still lost three or four places. I knew I’d got a pretty good race set-up so just tried to stay calm and in the first couple of laps I took advantage of that to get into the top ten. It was an incredible battle for most of the race and I knew I wasn’t much stronger than the rest and I knew if I got to the front that it wasn’t going to be a case of me pulling away. I knew once I was at the front of the bunch that it would be a case of protecting it. That’s exactly what I did but it was nearly all spoiled on the last lap. I was getting ready to pass Mika at the last corner when Elias came under me at Turn 10. That let Loris through too and I’d gone from sixth to ninth! It was so chaotic I didn’t even see Kallio crash and I thought when Elias dived under Loris at the last chic ane that they might run off. Fortunately for me they did and I took advantage of it, and leading that group for so long I think I deserved sixth. It has been great to work with Mr Nakajima and I feel quite privileged to have his help and it just shows that I’m still on Yamaha’s thoughts and they want me to get up to speed.”

Herve Poncharal – Team Manager
“That was easily the best race of the season for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team and I’m delighted because everybody has put in a lot of hard work. Colin was very impressive again and again he is the best non-factory rider, which considering how tough the competition is now, that is a great achievement. I have to say massive congratulations to James. He’s not had an easy time but he was able to lead an incredible fight in a group that included some of the very best riders in this championship. It was not easy to lead that group like he did but he did an unbelievable job and he definitely deserved that top six. He is a fighter and he proved that today and it was great that we played a big part in Yamaha’s success today, with all four bikes in the top six. I’d also like to say a big thanks to Mr Nakajima from Yamaha. He made an extra special effort and given big support to James this weekend. Now we go to Colin’s home race and a huge race for Monster in very confident mood .”

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Rizla Suzuki

Chris Vermeulen brought his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R home in fifth place at today’s Dutch TT in Assen to record his best result of the season so far.

Vermeulen got a great start from the fourth row of the grid and was in touch with the top-three at the end of lap one. He was forced back to sixth place on lap six, but with a rider falling just in front of Vermeulen on the 11th lap it left the Australian racer in a lonely and comfortable fifth. He kept up a consistent rhythm and Vermeulen was pleased with his result, he believes it will be a stepping stone to better performances as he now heads to a run of circuits that he really enjoys.

Loris Capirossi was heavily involved in what was the battle of the race. Suzuki’s experienced Italian got a poor start by his usual high standards and was relegated down to 11th - from sixth on the grid - at the end of the first lap. From there Capirossi was in a huge fight that featured up to seven riders at any one time. He battled through the field and made his way up to ninth, before being pushed wide, forcing him to run off the track. After re-joining in 12th he set about getting back in touch with the group and as the high-speed formation reached the last chicane Capirossi had used all his experience to muscle into sixth, but a move from Toni Elias pushed Capirossi into the gravel and although he stayed onboard his machine he had lost all momentum and brought his GSV-R home in 10th.

Following a post-race investigation into the incident with Capirossi and Elias, the latter was awarded with a 20-second penalty, which relegated him down the classification and moved Capirossi up into ninth place.

Today’s race was held in front of packed grandstands and the big crowd of 96,152 were treated to a bit of history as Valentino Rossi rode his Yamaha to victory - the 100th Grand Prix win in the Italian’s illustrious career.

Rizla Suzuki now embarks on a hectic trans-Atlantic dash as it heads to Laguna Seca in America for the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship next Sunday.

Chris Vermeulen:
“I’m obviously happy because this is my best result of the year and we have shown that we have made a step with the bike after the Barcelona test - especially on the chassis side of things. At this track - and the next couple that we are going to - it is not so important on the motor front, so the slight speed disadvantage that we have is not so bad and we can still be competitive. I got a good start to the race and got in with the front guys early on. I tried as hard as I could to stay with them, but didn’t quite have the lap-times to hang in there. I kept pushing all race and when Colin came past I tried to hang on to him, but he seemed to have a bit more rear grip than me. Most of the race after that was pretty boring as I was on my own. I’m happy with fifth and it gives us some valuable points in the championship and a good result to take forward into Laguna Seca.”

Loris Capirossi:
“It was not a good result today and it began with a bad start by me, it made it very difficult all race because it is not very easy to overtake here. When I was pushed wide I was really disappointed because it meant I had to start all over again and chase the other guys to get past. I got past three riders on the last lap and I was just behind Kallio on the last few corners and then he crashed, so I was sixth. I thought that would be not too bad, but on the last corner Elias tried to overtake me and put me out and that was it, it was is all over. I am upset because I really think if I had got a good start today I would have had a good race and we’d have been competitive, but it’s finished now and we have to move on.”

Paul Denning - Team Manager:
“It is nice for the team to have been in the top-five at the last three GPs. It is also great for Chris to find a good improvement here at Assen that will give him a step forward in confidence as we head to three of his favourite tracks. He rode a strong race today and it’s a good platform to build on.

“Up until the last corner of the race it looked like we’d have fifth and sixth after an interesting race - to say the least - for Loris. It was always a battle where something could happen at any time and the slightly desperate move on the last corner by Elias was evidence of that. There are some positives we can take out of this weekend, but we didn’t quite have the pace on race day that we were hoping for - compared to the top guys - so we need to keep pushing for improvements and make sure we get the maximum out of our potential in Laguna Seca next weekend.”

Alice TT Assen Race Classification:
1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 42′14.611: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) +5.368: 3. Casey Stoner (Ducati) +23.113: 4. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +29.114: 5. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +33.605: 9. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +40.673:

World Championship Classification:
1. Rossi 131: 2. Lorenzo 126: 3 Stoner 122: 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 69: 5. Dani Pedrosa 67: 7. LORIS CAPIROSSI (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 56: 9. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 53:

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Repsol

A bad end to a weekend that did not start well. The hopes of the four Repsol riders in 125cc served for nothing from the very start of the race in Assen. When the red lights went out at the legendary Dutch track the 125cc riders started the day`s racing, on a Saturday as is the tradition in this town in the Netherlands.

Marc Márquez was the best of the four Repsol riders. At the end of the first lap the Spanish KTM rider was 9th, with Rabat 14th and Redding 19th. The young Cameron Beaubier, Márquez`s teammate in the KTM team, could not even finish his first lap as he fell after clashing with another bike on one of the first few corners.

After the first few laps Márquez & Rabat were in the chasing group, fighting for 6th position, because at the front Simón, Terol, Gadea, Iannone & Smith had got away very quickly and had an advantage of several seconds. He was in a group together with Márquez & Rabat, Espargaró, Folger, Corsi & Bradl, all of whom would be alongside each other for the 22 laps of the Dutch GP.

In spite of being harmed by several manouevres made by his rivals in the group which made him drop down the field, and at one point to lose contact with the chasing group, the young Repsol rider made a great effort to make up the lost ground and get back in touch with the group containing Folger, Espargaró, Rabat and company. And whilst Márquez eventually got back in contact with this group, behind him Redding had to retire before finishing the end of the second lap, and Rabat who fell on corner 9, bid an early farewell to the race on lap 12.

On the final laps the chasing group fought hard for 6th place, a position that in the end ended up in Bradl´s hands, followed by Folger and Corsi. Márquez, who had once again fallen behind and had been forced off the track by another rider`s mistake – in this case on the chicane before the home straight and on the final lap – finished in 10th position, a result with a bitter-sweet flavour taking into consideration the young Repsol rider`s performance. With this result Márquez stays 6th in the overall classification.

Marc MÁRQUEZ >> 10th at 21.941 secs.
“The race was a little short for me, becuase I was getting better, but I had a few grazes with other riders, just like on the final lap, and I was not able to finish any higher. The chassis worked perfectly, but on the other hand the engine lacked a little power today. We will be working to finish higher up in the next few races. I made a good start but the bike did not have all the acceleration I wanted. The same thing always happened in the battles, on the back straight I was overtaken, and when braking I overtook them. We were in a group and on the final braking I went towards the inside and a rider touched me. We went onto the grass and I could not do any more. Finishing 10th is not a good position, but with what we have we did the best we could.”

Esteve RABAT >> fell
“I got off to a bad start for the first time this season and on the first few laps I tried to make up the lost ground. I reached the chasing group, fighting for 6th position and I found myself in a tough battle. We were constantly ovetaking each other and I tried to take a break behind Bradl, doing gentler laps, but as soon as I braked hard the steering locked and I fell. I am really disappointed, but I think that in both Barcelona two weeks ago, and here, we have made some positive progress, both in practice as well as in the race. The motorbike is very competitive, the teamwork is very good, and in the next race we will try to fight for a good result.”

Scott REDDING >> retired
“This is a weekend to forget. We began badly, with a problem on the Thursday that almost meant we could not ride, yesterday the clutch broke and today in the race everything went badly. I started badly and when I tried to make up the lost ground on the second lap, the revs just did not stop rising and I had to retire. The best thing I can say is that it has finished and that we have three weeks to prepare for the race in Germany.”

Cameron BEAUBIER >> fell
“I made a good start, and on the first few corners things went well, but when we took a slow left-hander I hit Dani Webb. I braked sooner than normal, but Rabat was on my outside and I did not want to push him off so I braked harder and then the front wheel blocked, so I fell. I tried to continue and I did five more laps but the bike had too much damage and I had to stop.”

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MotoGP

Valentino Rossi won his 100th Grand Prix, took his second triumph in succession and became the undisputed leader of the FIM MotoGP World Championship with a stellar performance at the Alice TT Assen.

A vintage Rossi performance was celebrated with his unraveling a backdrop and posing for a classic photo with antiquated cameras, the Italian’s latest post-race show with his faithful fan club.

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo was once again forced to settle for second place, his third on the bounce. The Spaniard got off to a bad start from third on the grid and, although he was able to fight back up to the front, could not provide Rossi with the same challenge that he had done last time out.

Ducati Marlboro’s Casey Stoner completed the podium with a solitary ride chasing Lorenzo. The Australian now trails Rossi and his Spanish rival in the overall standings after the trio had been level on points heading in to the Assen race.

Colin Edwards equaled his best result of the year with fourth place, at the head of an enthralling battle between the ‘best of the rest’. Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen and Edwards’ Monster Yamaha Tech 3 teammate James Toseland were also in the top six with their best finishes of the season to date.

Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso had been in with a shout at the rostrum, but both took tumbles before the race took its full shape. There was also a late fall for Pramac Racing’s Mika Kallio when the Finn was challenging for sixth on the final lap.

250cc

Hiroshi Aoyama claimed his second win of the 2009 season in the 250cc race, taking the leadership of the World Championship as a consequence.

The Scot Racing rider’s immediate rival, Álvaro Bautista, had looked to be on course to push Aoyama to the line as the duo broke free and dashed for the chequered flag. However, Mapfre Aspar rider Bautista smashed into the back of Aoyama’s Honda on the fast chicane, ending the Spaniard’s race and leaving the race winner lucky to stay upright.

Bautista´s late retirement meant that the battle behind him became one for the runner-up spot, with poleman Héctor Barberá eventually getting the better of reigning World Champion Marco Simoncelli.

Mattia Pasini and Thomas Luthi ended their hopes of catching up with the leaders when they collided midway through the race, Pasini losing his fourth position in the overall classification with a third DNF of the year. Metis Gilera rider Simoncelli now assumes the place as he attempts to remount his title challenge.

125cc

A three-way battle at the front of the 125cc contest saw the order of the podium positions decided on the very last lap, with Sergio Gadea earning his first win of 2009.

The Spaniard emerged victorious ahead of fellow countrymen Nico Terol and Julián Simón in a dry race that went down to the wire, saw Terol penalised twenty seconds and left Simón at the head of the overall classification.

The trio had battled against one another since just past the halfway mark in Assen, when third row starter Gadea joined up with the two leaders and mounted his own attempt at victory. With neither rider able to get away, a waiting game took place until the final lap, when Terol made a move that did not pay off and ran along the asphalt run-off strip. He caught up with Gadea on the home straight, but the Bancaja Aspar rider had enough of an advantage to take the win. The move was the subject of an enquiry by Race Direction, and the decision was made to relegate Terol to fifth place despite his having stepped onto the rostrum.

After taking the holeshot, British rider Bradley Smith lost ground on the leaders and became embroiled in a dogfight with title rival Andrea Iannone. Smith eventually bested the Ongetta Team I.S.P.A rider by five-hundredths of a second, in a move that gave him a belated podium behind teammates Gadea and Simón.

The next round of the FIM World Championship for the MotoGP class takes place in Laguna Seca, USA, next week, whilst the lower cylinder categories will skip the round and return at the German race later in July.