MotoGP: Melandri wins in Valencia
Marco Melandri won the last race of the MotoGP season here on Sunday and demonstrated to world champion Valentino Rossi that he is going to have some tough competition in 2006
Melandri led the race from start to finish after taking both teammate Sete Gibernau, who had pole, and Nicky Hayden at the gun .
Gibernau blew his engine in the third lap but Hayden rode Melandri's back tire throughout the whole race as the two vied to be this season's runner-up behind Rossi. The honor went to the Italian who went into Sunday's race with a nine-point advantage over the American before winning his second race in a row and second of the season .
"It was incredible, a great race. I started with the intention of securing my second place in the overall standings, but after that first corner my mind was all on winning," Melandri said after the race .
Both Melandri and Hayden rode Hondas .
Although Rossi only placed third, it was a spectacular feat considering the Yamaha rider started in 15th position and in the fifth row, after wiping out during qualification on Saturday .
In the first lap Rossi had already moved up seven positions, after four laps he only six seconds behind Melandri, a gap he then reduced to three seconds before the end of the race, and by mid-race he was already in third place .
Speaking after the race, Rossi said that he was convinced he could have won had he started in a better position .
A victory on Sunday would have allowed the seven-time world champion to equal the record of 12 season wins set in 1997 by Mick Doohan, equal the Australian's 54 career victories and beat his own personal record of 11 season wins. Melandri's victory in Turkey two weeks ago dashed any hope Rossi had to beating Doohan's records this season .
However, Rossi did set his own personal record for points, 376 compared to 220 for Melandri, thanks to 16 podium finishes out of 17 races .
Home favorite Carlos Checa was fourth on Sunday, 15 seconds behind Rossi, followed by Honda riders Alex Barros and Max Biaggi, while Loris Capirossi came in sixth .
This was a personal triumph for with his Ducati rider after the serious injuries he sustained in a fall in Turkey .
Melandri led the race from start to finish after taking both teammate Sete Gibernau, who had pole, and Nicky Hayden at the gun .
Gibernau blew his engine in the third lap but Hayden rode Melandri's back tire throughout the whole race as the two vied to be this season's runner-up behind Rossi. The honor went to the Italian who went into Sunday's race with a nine-point advantage over the American before winning his second race in a row and second of the season .
"It was incredible, a great race. I started with the intention of securing my second place in the overall standings, but after that first corner my mind was all on winning," Melandri said after the race .
Both Melandri and Hayden rode Hondas .
Although Rossi only placed third, it was a spectacular feat considering the Yamaha rider started in 15th position and in the fifth row, after wiping out during qualification on Saturday .
In the first lap Rossi had already moved up seven positions, after four laps he only six seconds behind Melandri, a gap he then reduced to three seconds before the end of the race, and by mid-race he was already in third place .
Speaking after the race, Rossi said that he was convinced he could have won had he started in a better position .
A victory on Sunday would have allowed the seven-time world champion to equal the record of 12 season wins set in 1997 by Mick Doohan, equal the Australian's 54 career victories and beat his own personal record of 11 season wins. Melandri's victory in Turkey two weeks ago dashed any hope Rossi had to beating Doohan's records this season .
However, Rossi did set his own personal record for points, 376 compared to 220 for Melandri, thanks to 16 podium finishes out of 17 races .
Home favorite Carlos Checa was fourth on Sunday, 15 seconds behind Rossi, followed by Honda riders Alex Barros and Max Biaggi, while Loris Capirossi came in sixth .
This was a personal triumph for with his Ducati rider after the serious injuries he sustained in a fall in Turkey .
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