Top 6 history for MotoGP at Le Mans :
2002 Wet: 1st Rossi, 2nd Ukawa, 3rd Biaggi, 4th Abe, 5th Roberts, 6th Aoki
2003 Wet: 1st Gibernau, 2nd Rossi, 3rd Barros, 4th Jacques, 5th Biaggi, 6th McWilliams
2004 Dry: 1st Gibernau, 2nd Checa, 3rd Biaggi, 4th Rossi, 5th Edwards, 6th Melandri
2005 Wet: 1st Rossi, 2nd Gibernau, 3rd Edwards, 4th Melandri, 5th Biaggi, 6th Hayden
2006 Wet: 1st Melandri, 2nd Capirossi, 3rd Pedrosa, 4th Stoner, 5th Hayden, 6th Edwards
2007 Wet: 1st Vermuelen, 2nd Melandri, 3rd Stoner, 4th Pedrosa, 5th Hoffman, 6th Rossi
2008 Dry: 1st Rossi, 2nd Lorenzo, 3rd Edwards, 4th Pedrosa, 5th Vermuelen, 6th Dovisioso. Stoner 16th
2009 Wet: 1st Lorenzo, 2nd Melandri, 3rd Pedrosa, 4th Dovisioso, 5th Stoner, 6th Vermuelen. Rossi 16th
what will happen in 2010?
The big question marks around some riders :
Hayden - have the last two events shown a the old Nicky comeback?
Stoner - Not really encouraging results so far this year. does he even like Le Mans?
Rossi - healed and ready for a pole to flag race?
Speez - Can he finally join the aliens?
Lorenzo - is he still Rossi's most direct threat?
Pedrosa - Will he survive the first turn?
Rizla - how far, how fast, how many?
Dovizioso - which rider is behind Door Number 4?
De Puniet - finally quick at home? (and how about some more topless pics- haven’t got any new ones lately)
Le Mans maintains the MotoGP battle
Monday, 17 May 2010
Round three of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship takes place at the French circuit, as the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France sees Jorge Lorenzo attempt to defend his early Championship lead.
Le Mans hosts round three of 2010 MotoGP
The MotoGP World Championship arrives at Le Mans this weekend for the third round of the 2010 campaign, the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, as the battle for an early advantage at the top of the standings continues.
Jorge Lorenzo currently sits in prime position following his fine win at Jerez and the French circuit of Le Mans is one at which he has enjoyed great success in his two premier class seasons to date. Last year the Fiat Yamaha rider won an eventful race that started as a wet contest but ended on dry tyres, and it was a result that was the start of a run of six straight podium finishes. Having finished second the year before, the Spaniard will be in confident mood as he looks to stretch what is a narrow four-point lead over team-mate and rival Valentino Rossi.
The Italian also has a strong pedigree at the circuit, despite last season’s 16th-placed finish there. Rossi has three premier class victories at Le Mans (2002, 2005 and 2008), and will reignite his duel with Lorenzo and company. For Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa, whose three previous wins there have been in the 250cc and 125cc classes, he will want to close the 16-point gap from his present third place in the standings to top spot by at least repeating his podium finish from last year’s race. Second place at Jerez three weeks ago will have placed him in a more than positive frame of mind.
The Spaniard’s team-mate Andrea Dovizioso has started the season strongly with a podium in Qatar and a top-six finish at Jerez, and in France he will want to get on the podium for the first time in the premier class, having just missed out last season. Ducati Marlboro rider Nicky Hayden’s hunger for a top-three finish will also be strong after consecutive fourth places in the opening two rounds of 2010, but he will have to improve on a best placement of fifth at Le Mans.
Randy de Puniet’s home GP will provide plenty of motivation for the LCR Honda rider, who at present is the highest placed private team rider in the Championship ahead of Colin Edwards of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team. Edwards has twice been on the podium at Le Mans, the last time being 2008.
In eighth place in the standings Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro) will be desperate to score big points and place higher than his best-ever finish of third, which came in his Championship-winning season of 2007. Level on points with him are Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech3) who makes his MotoGP debut on the circuit, and Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) who has been on the podium three times in MotoGP at Le Mans including a win in 2006 and second place last year.
His team-mate Marco Simoncelli, Mika Kallio (Pramac Racing), Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP), Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) and Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar) follow in the standings. Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) will ride despite having just had surgery on a broken collarbone, with Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing) also hoping to build on his single point so far.
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