Rossi clinches 10th win of season

Doha:

It was business as usual as Valentino Rossi, the seven-time world motorcycling champion, got back to winning ways with a record 10th MotoGP victory of the season at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday. The Italian Yamaha rider, fresh from sealing his fifth successive world title, passed compatriot Marco Melandri in the closing stages after early leader Sete Gibernau of Spain had veered off course on the 18th of 22 laps at a sun-baked Losail International Circuit. In the 250cc class, Australian Casey Stoner won his second consecutive race to cut defending champion Dani Pedrosa's championship lead to 26 points with three races remaining. In the 125cc class, Hungarian Gregor Talmacsi pipped KTM team-mate Mika Kallio on the line to win, but the Finn still managed to take a two-point lead in the title race over Swiss Thomas Luthi, who was sixth. (AP)