Moto: Melandri stops Rossi

Oct 23 2005 icWales

Marco Melandri held off world champion Valentino Rossi to break his MotoGP duck and win the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul.

The Italian capped a fine season for Movistar Honda with a consummate performance at the new Istanbul Otodrom to boost his chances of second in the championship.

Melandri kept Gauloises Yamaha rider Rossi at bay in the closing stages to win comfortably as Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden completed the podium.

Melandri took control of the race at the start when he got the jump on team-mate Sete Gibernau to lead into turn one as Rossi dropped to eighth.

Rossi did not stay in the midfield for long though and on lap two he dispatched Toni Elias and team-mate Colin Edwards to move into the top four.

Melandri led the early stages but he came under pressure from Gibernau, who took the lead on lap four and set himself up for his first win of a difficult season.

But the Spaniard’s miserable campaign continued and he threw away a golden opportunity to win when he ran wide through the gravel, dropping to seventh place.

That lifted Rossi into the podium positions and he soon caught second-placed Hayden, overtaking him on lap eight.

He had a clear run at countryman and good friend Melandri but could not get close enough and eventually settled for second place, well clear of third-placed Hayden, taking his third consecutive podium finish.

Gibernau recovered from his mistake to fight back to fourth place while Ducati Marlboro’s Carlos Checa took fifth.

Promising youngster Toni Elias claimed the best result of his short MotoGP career with a superb sixth for Fortuna Yamaha, edging out Edwards by a fraction of a second with a last-gasp move.

Max Biaggi’s hopes of second place in the championship faded as the Italian continued his recent poor form, finishing down in 12th for Repsol Honda.

That put him one place behind Camel Honda rookie Chris Vermeulen, who celebrated his works Suzuki deal for 2006 with more points as stand-in for the injured Troy Bayliss.

Cumbrian James Ellison missed out on the points in 18th for Blata WCM.