Italian GP: Danny Pedrosa makes most of Rossi's absence to win

Spaniard Danny Pedrosa won the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. The Repsol Honda rider led from start to finish more than 4 seconds clear of the rest of the field amidst the gloom of the absence of much-loved Valentino Rossi on Sunday.

rossi: may miss the whole season

The race was marred by the absence of world champion Rossi whose home race it was. The Italian broke his shinbone during practise on Saturday, leaving his title ambitions for the time being in jeopardy. Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo with a second place now leads the driver’s championship with 90 points, while Pedrosa after the win moves upto second place. Rossi is presently third but with his recovery to take some time, it will be impossible for him to pursue the championship.

On Saturday he had an ugly crash, losing control of his rear end of the Yamaha as he fell awkwardly in the gravel trap. Yet he remains his positive, cheerful self at the Carregi hospital in Florence.

His fans were shocked and displayed a lot of support for him throughout the race.

Much was expected of his teammatte Lorenzo who led the time sheets in the practise. However, he only managed a second place far behind Pedrosa. Lorenzo sported a t-shirt of Rossi’s favourite colour yellow while receiving his prize on the podium.

The battle for fourth was a fascinating one, in which Marco Melandri, Casey Stoner and Frenchman Randy de Puniet were all engaged in a neck-to-neck battle. Eventually it was 2006 champion who took the fourth place in the last lap. Ben Spies was seventh, and newcomer Aleix Espargaro finishing eighth. Simoncelli and Loris Caprirossi finished ninth and tenth.

The next race will take place in Great Britain on June 20.