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Following Tamada and Roberts' departure the leading group continued to change positions as each lap passed. Valentino Rossi moved up to second, overtaking Dani Pedrosa. Melandri led but you could barely call it a lead, and Hayden was just as close in fourth.

With 2 laps remaining Pedrosa had lost out to Hayden and tried to retake 3rd by moving up the inside at the Omega turn. The ex-dirt tracker was having none of it though and kept a tight line, forcing Dani onto the brakes where he missed Nicky's rear tyre by millimeters. 'Team mates'? Yeah, right.

Later on in the lap Rossi moved into first on the brakes of the 'waterfall' section of the track where he would try and remain for the next couple of miles. There was still nothing between the four riders and Melandri managed to get a wheel in front on a couple of occasions on the last lap, but this one was to be Valentino's and he took the chequered flag with Melandri, Hayden and Pedrosa following him in the next 3 tenths of a second.

Honda's official press release after the race called this Sunday 'one of the great MotoGP races', despite Valentino Rossi winning on a Yamaha. So whatever you do, make sure you beg, borrow or steal a copy and enjoy it in full before next weekend at Laguna Seca.

2006 German MotoGP Race Results

1) Valentino Rossi Camel Yamaha Team 41'59.248 
2) Marco Melandri Fortuna Honda 41'59.393 + 0.145
3) Nicky Hayden Repsol Honda Team 41'59.514 + 0.266
4) Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 41'59.555 + 0.307
5) Loris Capirossi Ducati Marlboro Team 42'08.012 + 8.764
6) Shinya Nakano Kawasaki Racing Team 42'08.395 + 9.147
7) Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 42'15.856 + 16.608
8) Sete Gibernau Ducati Marlboro Team 42'15.896 + 16.648
9) Carlos Checa Tech 3 Yamaha 42'16.345 + 17.097
10) John Hopkins Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 42'17.034 + 17.786
11) Toni Elias Fortuna Honda 42'26.673 + 27.425
12) Colin Edwards Camel Yamaha Team 42'28.556 + 29.308
13) James Ellison Tech 3 Yamaha 43'01.277 + 1'02.029
14) Jose Luis Cardoso Pramac d'Antín MotoGP 43'19.245 + 1'19.997
15) Randy De Puniet Kawasaki Racing Team DNF 
16) Makoto Tamada Konica Minolta Honda DNF 
17) Kenny Roberts Jr Team Roberts DNF 
18) Alex Hofmann Pramac d'Antín MotoGP DNF   

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