BD: THE MONDAY MORNING GP

12.00: Ahh. A quick surf with the remote control before heading to bed and I landed on the warm up lap for the Moto GP. Belay the nightmoves.

It's always nice when you pick it up as they are on the starting grid and ready to go.

Whoo-hoo - they are away! And I just got here. Lorenzo leads Rossi and Stoner into the first corner.

Lorenzo looking strong at the end of the first section.

The procession starts. Still on Lap 1, Takahasi has a big off.

12.03: Rossi sticks his leg out big time at the end of the back straight. Hard braking.
More of them are doing a Bayliss. Stoner looking. Stunning onboard camerawork form Spain.

12.04: It’s a real freight train still. 24 Laps to go and the front three – Lorenzo – Rossi - Stoner are tight and clearing out slightly. Very tight at the front.

12.06: Overhead shots are stunning too. Front three continue to gap the rest of the field. 3 wide down the main straight. Rossi takes the lead under brakes. Stoner all over Lorenzo.
Stoner pushing very hard. Bit twitchy.

Fastest lap Rossi 1.43.blah blah blah. The 2 Repsol Hondas are dropping back in 4th & 5th.

12.08: Lap 4 – Front three spread out then concertina under brakes at the end of main straight. Caparosi 6th. Pedrosa 4th, won last year. Stoner goes the Bayliss, hanging leg off during hard braking. They look settled in – Speaking of braking. Beer break. 21 to go.

12.10: Back. Victoria Bitter in hand.

Procession continues. Front three approaching 2 seconds out from rest.
Coverage is now panning back through the field.

12.16: 17 laps to go.
Stoner is dropping off the pace.
16 to go. Looks like Bye Bye Valentino. Lorenzo half second error at the chicane.

12.18: Pan through field to Tony Elias who obliges the spotlight by low siding into the gravel pit. Meanwhile Lorenzo is back on Rossi’s rear wheel. Stoner now 1.5 secs back.

12.21: 14 to go – 2 horse race. 13 to go and Rossi smooth. Half way.

12.23: Lorenzo under brakes – to the front. Rossi sits in behind. Looks to hang on.

Stoner gone. Diviosio catching him for a battle for third.

12.25: Racing steady as they set up for the final third. Now comes the first statement of the blindingly obvious by the commentators. Backed up by a bunch of wistful wishing about how Colin Edwards would be winning – if he wasn’t losing.

Strange race developing. Lots of 2 man battles all the way down the order.
Then a gap 2-4 then a gap 5-6 gap 7-8 gap

1.43: lap times Stoner clearing out again.

Nothing changes Yamahas up front.

12.28: Onboard camera from Yamaha catches the engine noise.
Commentators do shut up long enough to let us listen to it. Absolutely beautiful.

12.29: 10 Laps to go. Lorenzo still leads.

12.31: Status quo remains unchanged. (No – it’s a pun).

So commentary informs us what Rossi knows. He knows he has to win. Fabulous.
8 to go lots of onboard vision. Hard out. Commentary however has now descended into waffle. Caparosi and Pedrosa having a ding dong battle for a few points.

12.34: 7 laps to go – still very, very tight in front. Stoner going backward quickly. Lost 1 second.

6 to go. Rossi all over Lorenzo. Stoner in trouble. Pan through field, Hayden 10th, Vermuellen 11th.

5 to go Great racing between the two Yamahas. Cliché alert. ‘This is like two world class boxers slugging it out with each other.’ We are informed. Actually, it isn’t - Tyson can't ride for dooley– although they all do wear gloves.

12.37: 3 and a half to go. ‘This is all about who is top dog at Yamaha.’ Uh-huh.
3 to go and Rossi storms back in front – takes him under brakes into turn 1.
Rossi hanging it out sideways on the gas. Spectacular. Lorenzo all over him.

2.5 to go. Did you know ‘this is important to both riders?’

Rossi foot on the ground at the end of the main straight best ever.
Stoner now solid in third.

12.41. 2 to go – ‘A classic duel’ – OK – I have to agree with them - fabulous racing.

Rossi in front – less than a bike length. Lorenzo hanging in. So close.

12.42: Last lap – Lorenzo huge under brakes, Rossi takes it back – runs wide – Lorenzo back in front. Cigarette paper between them and it’s no Rizzla.

12.44: Half a lap to go. Coat of paint between them – did they touch – no.
Sick braking. Centimeters apart.

Rossi ‘invents something’ in the final corner and takes the lead – and the race in the sprint to the line. Rossi wins by a fraction of a second. An absolutely amazing head to head race.

Stoner hangs on for third.

Championship table has the three of them level on 106 points.

Yep - Rossi, Stoner and Lorenzo are ALL on 106 points.

The last passing move was absolutely incredible. Rossi just threw the bike into the corner. Sheer genius for his 99th GP win. Lorenzo was huge too.

Rossi’s team goes birko. Scenes of deliriously happy FIAT logos abound.

Next one is at Assen.

Head over to motogp.com for the full results.

Find a tape or a replay (particularly the last third) if you can.