Mugello, June 09: World MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi led a home podium sweep at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, extending his championship lead. Rossi overcame compatriots Loris Capirossi and Max Biaggi to record his third win of the year and increase his lead over Biaggi to 32 points after five rounds. "For sure it's something special to win here at Mugello in front of such a big home crowd," Rossi told reporters. "I think for them it was good, because we (Italian riders) put on a good battle. I have to compliment Loris and Max. They pushed me hard today." Having dominated qualifying, the three Italians started on the front row of the grid and the three-way duel the home crowd had hoped for materialised from the start. When the red lights went out, Capirossi's Ducati - which reached 331km/h on Saturday, shattering the Grand Prix speed record - accelerated fastest, taking the lead from pole-man Rossi at the first corner.


But while the Ducati hurtled down the straights, it proved twitchy at the corners, and on the fourth lap Capirossi slid wide on a tight right-hand bend to let Biaggi through.


Rossi, also a winner in Spain and Japan this year, slipped through soon after and pressurised Biaggi, who surrendered the lead under braking at the end of the straight on lap 12.


With seven of the 23 laps remaining, Rossi had opened up a one and a half second lead over his pursuers and despite a late charge by Capirossi, who muscled past Biaggi, the world champion held on to win his second consecutive Italian Grand Prix.


"For myself I'm delighted. I knew Loris was catching me at the end, but fortunately I'd done enough," said Rossi.


Capirossi, meanwhile, told reporters he was pleased with his second place, which lifted him from 13th to seventh in the standings and represented Ducati's best finish this season. The Italian outfit is competing in Grand Prix for the first time in 30 years.



"I went out to give 110 per cent for the whole race. In the last four laps I really tried to catch Valentino, but I couldn't quite do it," he said. "But second is a great result for me and the team - especially for the team."


Manuel Poggiali extended his lead at the top of the 250cc riders' world championship with a comfortable victory at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday.


The rider from San Marino, who won the 125cc class at the Mugello circuit last year, duelled with grid leader Randy De Puniet in the opening stages of the race, but was left alone in front when the Frenchman crashed out on the 13th lap.


De Puniet had already crashed out earlier in the race, only to remount and and catch up with the leader. Spain's Fonsi Nieto finished a distant second and Italy's Franco Battaini was third.


Home rider Lucio Cecchinello held off Daniel Pedrosa to win the 125cc race at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday. The Italian started sixth on the grid, but led from the fourth lap, edging out Spanish duo Pedrosa and Pablo Nieto, who crossed the line third.


The result means Cecchinello and Pedrosa are tied on 91 points at the top of the championship standings after five races.


MotoGP 1. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Honda 43 minutes 28.008 seconds 2. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Ducati 43:29.424 3. Max Biaggi (Italy) Honda 43:32.584 4. Makoto Tamada (Japan) Honda 43:41.218 5. Shinya Nakano (Japan) Yamaha 43:41.419 6. Tohru Ukawa (Japan) Honda 43:41.674 7. Sete Gibernau (Spain) Honda 43:42.261 8. Carlos Checa (Spain) Yamaha 43:50.819 9. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Aprilia 44:01.064 10. Olivier Jacque (France) Yamaha 44:06.890 11. Marco Melandri (Italy) Yamaha 44:06.985 12. Nicky Hayden (U.S.) Honda 44:16.647 13. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Japan) Honda 44:18.191 14. Alex Hofmann (Germany) Kawasaki 44:22.221 15. Garry McCoy (Australia) Kawasaki 44:51.289


250cc 1. Manuel Poggiali (San Marino) Aprilia 38 minutes 40.038 seconds 2. Fonsi Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 39:02.483 3. Franco Battaini (Italy) Aprilia 39:03.484 4. Roberto Rolfo (Italy) Honda 39:04.470 5. Sylvain Guintoli (France) Aprilia 39:11.717 6. Toni Elias (Spain) Aprilia 39:19.875 7. Naoki Matsudo (Japan) Yamaha 39:24.870 8. Sebastian Porto (Argentina) Honda 39:24.943 9. Anthony West (Australia) Aprilia 39:42.423 10. Joan Olive (Spain) Aprilia 39:46.058 11. Hugo Marchand (France) Aprilia 39:51.235 12. Alex Debon (Spain) Honda 39:51.295 13. Chaz Davies (Britain) Aprilia 39:58.002 14. Jakub Smrz (Czech Republic) Honda 40:01.611 15. Hector Faubel (Spain) Aprilia 40:05.332


Leading overall standings after five events: 1. Manuel Poggiali (Italy) Aprilia 88 points 2. Roberto Rolfo (Italy) Honda 69 3. Toni Elias (Spain) Aprilia 68 4. Fonsi Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 61 5. Randy De Puniet (France) Honda 56 6. Franco Battaini (Italy) Aprilia 48 7. Sebastian Porto (Argentina) Honda 44 8. Naoki Matsudo (Japan) Yamaha 42 9. Anthony West (Australia) Aprilia 37 10. Sylvain Guintoli (France) Aprilia 34


Constructors: 1. Aprilia 125 2. Honda 82 3. Yamaha 42



125cc 1. Lucio Cecchinello (Italy) Aprilia 40:01.738 2. Daniel Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 40:02.468 3. Pablo Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 40:02.539 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 40:02.548 5. Alex De Angelis (San Marino) Aprilia 40:03.192 6. Youichi Ui (Japan) Aprilia 40:09.394 7. Stefano Perugini (Italy) Aprilia 40:09.440 8. Gino Borsoi (Italy) Aprilia 40:09.446 9. Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 40:23.442 10. Gioele Pellino (Italy) Aprilia 40:23.870 11. Mirko Giansanti (Italy) Aprilia 40:23.946 12. Simone Corsi (Italy) Honda 40:36.064 13. Mika Kallio (Finland) Honda 40:36.172 14. Masao Azuma (Japan) Honda 40:36.231 15. Thomas Luthi (Switzerland) Honda 40:36.617


Leading overall standings after five rounds: 1= Daniel Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 91 points 1= Lucio Cecchinello (Italy) Aprilia 91 points 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 67 4. Steve Jenkner (Germany) Aprilia 60 5. Stefano Perugini (Italy) Aprilia 54 6. Youichi Ui (Japan) Aprilia 51 7. Pablo Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 47 8. Alex De Angelis (San Marino) Aprilia 37 9. Mirko Giansanti (Italy) Aprilia 36 10. Casey Stoner (Australia) Aprilia 29


Constructors: 1. Aprilia 111 points 2. Honda 94 3. KTM 5 4. Derbi 1


Bureau Report