Lose a cat-and-mouse battle

Casey Stoner won a cat-and-mouse battle with Valentino Rossi to take victory in the season-opening Qatar MotoGP. The pair, who started at the front of the grid, traded the lead throughout the race with Australian Stoner finally prevailing for his first MotoGP win.

Five-time champion Rossi was more than satisfied with his start to the season."The Yamaha was well balanced and took the corners well, I am happy because we made the right tyre choice. A win is better but second is not so bad."

Rossi started on pole and held the lead until the end of the first lap when Stoner's power down the straight propelled him past the Italian. From then on, the pair shared the lead and began to pull away from Spaniard Pedrosa.

Stoner held the lead for the majority of the second half of the race and when Rossi tried to make a move with four laps to go, the Australian immediately went back in front. The 21-year-old then put in his fastest lap on the last circuit of the track to claim victory.

Qatar MotoGP result:
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 43min 02.788 seconds
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +2.838 secs
3. Dani Pedrosa (ESP) Honda +8.530
4. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki +9.071
5. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda +17.433
6. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha +18.647
7. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki +22.916
8. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda +23.057
9. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati +25.961
10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda +28.456

Rossi claims pole position in opening

Valentino Rossi's bid to reclaim the MotoGP world championship got off to the best possible start as he claimed pole position for the opening round at the Losail circuit in Qatar.

The Italian, seeking his fifth MotoGP title and an eighth world crown overall, lapped the desert circuit just outside Doha in one minute 55.002 seconds, edging out Ducati Marlboro's Casey Stoner by just five thousandths of a second as the chequered flag fell.

Rossi's Fiat Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards completed the front row line-up in third place, while reigning champion Nicky Hayden will start the race on the back of row three after bringing his Repsol Honda home in ninth.

Rossi said: "It's very important. The start of the season is always important for the rest of the championship.I made a mistake on the first lap but the second lap was very fast. But we wait for Saturday. I think we will have a fight because there are three or four riders with the pace to win."

Good start

Valentino Rossi and Texan team mate Colin Edwards led the way on Thursday as Yamaha dominated free practice for Saturday's MotoGP season-opener in Qatar.

The charismatic Italian, determined to regain the title he held for five years before losing out to Honda's American Nicky Hayden last year, was quickest overall with a lap of 1:56.464 in the afternoon.

The 28-year-old, race winner for the past two years at the Losail International circuit, had set the third best time in the first session. Edwards was quickest in the morning in 1:56.665.
"We were in a good situation at the test here but really the most important test was (last month in) Jerez (in Spain) because there we understood a lot more about our bike and we made some important changes." Rossi said.

Ducati's young Australian Casey Stoner, on pole in Qatar last year, was third quickest in 1:56.745. Hayden, who had shoulder surgery after the end of last season, could manage only 15th on the timesheets with a best lap of 1:58.021.