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Valentino Rossi led start to finish to claim the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez and, with it, the lead in the MotoGP World Championship. Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa was second with Rossi’s teammate Colin Edwards third.

"Today for me was a great emotion, back to the victory after September (in Malaysia),I think," Rossi said. "So the taste of first place is unbelievable. Is a great, great pleasure.

"We work very well, so I have to thank all my team from (crew chief) Jeremy Burgess to all the guys. Today my Yamaha work very, very well and also the tires go a lot faster to the end, so I am a lot, a lot happy. Win in front of this crowd is unbelievable. I like a lot this racetrack. Last year I had bad, bad luck and also today is a great battle with Dani (Pedrosa) and so I’m very happy, also for Colin (Edwards) and for all the team, because two Yamahas on the podium mean is a great work for us."

The order of the lead trio didn’t change from the first lap to the last. Pedrosa hung close until the 14th of 27 laps when Rossi broke the one second barrier. The lead starting the second half of the race was 1.286 secs. and Rossi would more than double it before backing off to win by 1.246 seconds.

The victory gives him 46 points to 36 for Pedrosa and Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner-fifth today-who share second.

"Is an important victory, because the championship is long and now we have two difficult racetracks for us, but now I just feel this moment and I have to thank you to everybody," Rossi said.

The victory, Rossi's 59th in the premier class and 85th overall, was notable for a number of reasons. It ended a five race winless streak, his longest drought since his first premier class win at Donington in 2000. It also ended a run of six different winners in six races, going back to Rossi's win last year in Malaysia. (Marco Melandri, Loris Capirossi, Toni Elias, Troy Bayliss and Casey Stoner were the other winners.) And it puts Rossi only nine wins behind all-time premier class leader Giacomo Agostini, his fellow Italian who finished his career with 68.

Took a brand new BMW

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Valentino Rossi will leave Jerez tonight with a brand new BMW M car and, more importantly, a crucial psychological advantage over his title rivals after winning the 40 minute qualifying session at Jerez this afternoon.

The five time MotoGP World Champion took the 2007 BMW M Award with scorching 138.394 lap, clocked with just five minutes to go in the session. It is the second time that Rossi has won the award, and an excellent end to a preseason where the 800cc Yamaha M1 has shone brightly.

The Italian had to work for it though, and a vintage display was required to edge out early pacesetter Dani Pedrosa. Repsol Hondas Spanish star had laid down the gauntlet early on by breaking first the 140 then the 139 barrier as he pushed for the top spot.

After seeing Rossi clock his eventual winning time Pedrosa completed a perfect lap at the death, beating his best times at all four timed sections of the circuit. His final fastest lap was 138.527, under two tenths of a second slower than his World Championship rival.

Day Three Combined Official Times
1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing) - 1'38.394
2. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) - 1'38.527
3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Racing) - 1'39.300
4. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda) - 1'39.556
5. Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki Racing Team) - 1'39.832
6. Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team) - 1'39.873
7. Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) - 1'39.887
8. Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) - 1'40.043