MotoReview

Everyone on the podium put in fantastic rides, with Loris Capirossi in second and making Rossi work for it (to say the least) and Nicky Hayden getting another top three finish on the development Honda. Rossi has now moved up to 5th in a championship which sees the top 6 riders split by less than the 25 points on offer for a race win.

Dani Pedrosa as usual put in a better performance than many would have expected in fourth, given the physical nature of the Mugello circuit. Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri both looked as though they could have been further up the order in 5th and 6th respectively, but after running wide and losing time Gibernau could not get back on the pace and Melandri also managed to outbreak himself, resulting in a little off-track excursion that could not be recovered from.

Casey Stoner was also looking good, until a big crash on lap nine sent the Australian rider out of third place and indeed the rest of the race. Despite a very second-hand looking LCR Honda being left in the gravel afterwards, Casey was fortunately okay and will be fine for the Catalan GP in two weeks time.

An honourable mention goes to Kenny Junior for taking eighth place on the KR211V machine which, as usual, had a new chassis for the weekend. 

2006 Italian MotoGP Race Results

1) Valentino Rossi Camel Yamaha Team 42'39.610
2) Loris Capirossi Ducati Marlboro Team +0.575
3) Nicky Hayden Repsol Honda Team +0.735
4) Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team +2.007
5) Sete Gibernau Ducati Marlboro Team +3.07
6) Marco Melandri Fortuna Honda +11.793
7) Toni Elias Fortuna Honda +18.999
8) Kenny Roberts Jr Team Roberts +19.172
9) Makoto Tamada Konica Minolta Honda +19.231
10) John Hopkins Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +19.821
11) Shinya Nakano Kawasaki Racing Team +19.863
12) Colin Edwards Camel Yamaha Team +30.678
13) Randy De Puniet Kawasaki Racing Team +37.198
14) Chris Vermeulen Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +41.712
15) Carlos Checa Tech 3 Yamaha +56.256
16) James Ellison Tech 3 Yamaha +1'13.387
17) Jose Luis Cardoso Pramac d'Antín MotoGP +1 lap
18) Casey Stoner Honda LCR +15 laps (DNF)
19) Alex Hofmann Pramac d'Antín MotoGP +15 laps (DNF)