Capirossi wins Jerez GP

ByEurosport

Published 26/03/2006 at 12:56 GMT

Ducati's Loris Capirossi has transformed his pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix into victory on Sunday, beating Honda rookie Dani Pedrosa into second with Nicky Hayden third. World champion Valentino Rossi was knocked off in turn one but battled back

2006 Spanish GP Jerez Ducati Capirossi

Image credit: Reuters

Italy's Loris Capirossi held off a determined challenge from debutant Dani Pedrosa to claim a lights-to-flag victory on his Ducati in the season-opening Spanish GP on Sunday. American Nicky Hayden finished third while world champion Valentino Rossi finished 14th after being knocked off at turn one.

The 2006 World MotoGP championship got off to an explosive start on Sunday when reigning championship Valentino Rossi, who was chasing his sixth successive victory in the opening race of the season, was sent into the gravel at turn one by Honda's Toni Elias.

2006 Spanish GP Yamaha Rossi

Image credit: Reuters

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The Italian clambered to his feet and punched the air in disgust before climbing aboard his stricken M1 despite a broken brake handle and foot peg. By the end of the first lap, the Doctor was last, some 37 seconds shy of Britain's James Ellison.

"Elias caught me on the first bend after I'd made a great start, but he apologised and these things happen at the front," said Rossi.

Meanwhile, up front, the Ducati's of Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau set an astonishing pace before disaster hit the Spaniard. An electronics failure left the former Honda rider unable to change gear and was forced to park his Desmosedici in the pits.

That left Capirossi with a decent lead over the chasing pack before Dani Pedrosa, making his MotoGP debut, stunned his home fans by reeling in the experienced Italian within a number of laps. However; the 20-year old tired of the last five laps and was forced to settle for second.

2006 Spanish GP Jerez Ducati Capirossi

Image credit: Reuters

"I tried to push very hard at the beginning, I had a bit of an advantage but then I was surprised to see Pedrosa coming," said Capirossi. "I kept my rhythm, pushed hard with five laps to go and saw that gap opening so I knew that it was won."

Pedrosa's debut was nonetheless an extremely impressive result. To be able to produce that performance with the 990cc Honda, withstand the huge pressure of riding in front of his home fans and challenge for victory was astonishing.

"It was a fantastic race," Pedrosa said. "I was lucky at the beginning to not get involved in the crash and then Gibernau went out so this opened the doors for me.

"I tried to catch Capirossi but towards the end I was afraid with the front tyre so I slowed and made sure of second," he added. "There are still 16 races in the championship and the win will come later."

HRC team-mate Nicky Hayden, who is developing the new 2006-spec RC211V, had to hold off a late charge from Spain's Toni Elias to take third with last year's vice champion Italian Marco Melandri limping to an unimpressive fifth.

Australian Casey Stoner finished a miraculous fifth after starting 15th on the grid, with Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano claiming seventh when the team probably hoped for better. Kenny Roberts Jr passed former Suzuki team-mate John Hopkins on the final lap to take eighth with Makoto Tamada completing the top ten

Meanwhile, Rossi battled back to finish 14th, gaining two points that could prove vital given towards the end of the season as the five-time champion looks set to have a fight on his hands with both Ducati and Honda.

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