Valentino Rossi claimed victory at the Catalonian Motorcycling Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday, his eighth win at the event in 11 starts. The Yamaha rider has now finished on the podium at Barcelona 10 times in a row.
The race was halted and restarted after a six-rider collision at the first corner left three competitors hospitalized. Ducati's Loris Capirossi suffered abdominal bruising and internal bleeding, Sete Gibernau broke a collarbone, and Marco Melandri dislocated a collarbone.
Rossi said he struggled to focus following the crash but regrouped after receiving word that the injured riders were conscious. He fended off strong late pressure from Nicky Hayden, who crossed the line second and retained the championship lead by 29 points over Rossi.
American Kenny Roberts Jr. delivered a standout ride, holding off fellow countryman John Hopkins to take third place, his first podium finish since Japan in 2000.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.