Lorenzo wins again at Assen

The 80th anniversary of the Dutch TT was marked with a Jorge Lorenzo victory on Saturday afternoon as the Fiat Yamaha rider won from pole position. The Spaniard’s fourth win of the 2010 campaign stretched his lead at the top of the World Championship to 47 points, as Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) and Casey Stoner (Ducati Team) followed him onto the podium at the TIM TT Assen.

Major benefits were gained from good starts by Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Pedrosa as both rose four places from their grid positions to slot into second and third place, as Lorenzo led the field into Turn 1 from pole position.

Lorenzo started to open up a very early lead and for the first couple of laps it looked like the Spaniard would race clear as he did at Silverstone, but Pedrosa and Stoner both passed Spies on lap three and tried to keep the leader in check.

Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) had passed Spies as well to move into fourth, and by the midway point of the race he was a second ahead of the American, who in turn led sixth placed Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) by just over 1.5s.

By this stage Stoner was looking for a way through on Pedrosa but could not find one, and Lorenzo started to again edge away, extending his advantage little by little as the laps flew by. Further back Spies closed right up on Dovizioso and passed the Italian to move into fourth, and De Puniet was then on the trail as well as the trio remained closely grouped.

At the front Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Stoner became further separated from one another, whilst De Puniet and Dovizioso fought intensely to the last lap as the Frenchman experienced a few moments as his tires started to feel the strain.

Lorenzo eventually crossed the line 2.935s ahead of Pedrosa, with Stoner taking his first podium of the season in third. Spies finished fourth in another impressive display from the rookie, with Dovizioso edging out De Puniet for fifth with another overtake on the chicane just before the finish line.

Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team), Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Pramac Racing) all took top-ten finishes. Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini Team) was absent from the race after he dislocated his left shoulder in the second free practice session on Friday.

The result extended Lorenzo’s lead at the top of the Championship further and he now stands on 140 points after six rounds, having finished in the top two in every race. Pedrosa moved into second on 93 with his podium finish, ahead of Dovizioso who is third on 89.

Results