Italian star seen back in the running after rivals crash (ANSA) - Rome, June 19 - Italy's motorcycling ace Valentino Rossi has dramatically turned around a season that looked to be going nowhere and is now on course for another world title, Italian sports pundits said on Monday .

Rossi, who was eighth in the title race a month ago, rode to a second straight victory in Spain on Sunday, making the most of a spectacular crash which temporarily put three of his key rivals out of the picture .

As a result of the win the Yamaha star moved into third place in the championship, 30 points behind standings leader Nicky Haydn of the United States. "This latest success gives a huge boost to Rossi's title bid," said Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport, noting that the 27-year-old Italian could overtake Haydn in two races .

MotoGP fans observed that Rossi could also now be helped by the effects of Sunday's crash on his rivals combined with the tight MotoGP schedule for the next two weeks. Riders face two more Grand Prix races in the next two weeks .


Ducati's Loris Capirossi has already been discharged from hospital and Honda's Marco Melandri is expected to leave within 24 hours. Neither suffered serious injuries at the Catalunya Grand Prix and they are expected to take part in the next race at Assen, in the Netherlands .

But fans suspect they may not be 100% fit at Assen on Saturday or at Donington Park a week later. This was also the view of Max Biaggi, one of Rossi's former rivals on the MotoGP circuit, who now writes a column in a top Italian sports daily .

"Who can halt Rossi's rise. Nobody at the moment and I bet that by the summer break he'll be back at the top," Biaggi said .

Rossi's last two wins came after two races in which he failed to finish because of problems with his Yamaha bike - a situation which had left him way down the standings for the first time in years .