June 6, 2006
France - Honda riders swept to victories in all three classes in France today, with Fortuna Honda�s Marco Melandri winning his second MotoGP race of the season, with Repsol Honda�s Dani Pedrosa capturing third and four Honda riders finishing in the top five � including series leader Nicky Hayden in fifth. Yukio Takahashi (Humangest Racing Honda) won a spectacular 250cc GP from teammate Andrea Dovizioso, while in the 125cc race reigning 125cc World Champion Thomas Luthi (Elit Honda) won his first race of the season.
Suzuki�s John Hopkins led from the start, with pole-sitter Pedrosa and Melandri hard on his tail as lap one was completed. Loris Capirossi was in the running and Valentino Rossi was in fifth as Hopkins set an early fastest lap on lap two.
On lap three, Rossi made his way to third, then second and closed on leader Hopkins. Pedrosa, meantime, locked down third while Melandri and Capirossi contested fourth. Shinya Nakano, Repsol Honda�s Hayden and LCR Honda�s Casey Stoner battled for fifth before Nakano was brought in for a ride-through punishment due to a jumped start.
Rossi took over the lead from Hopkins on lap five, with the Suzuki rider falling three laps later while trying to stay in touch. He remounted to finish 15th. With that, Pedrosa was now in second place and hanging with Rossi while Melandri was 2.37 seconds behind the leaders in third.
Pedrosa inherited the lead on lap 21 when Rossi�s Yamaha pulled out with a mechanical, and with eight laps to go, the stage was set for a Pedrosa, Melandri and Capirossi showdown. In the end, Melandri had the speed, and he got by Pedrosa for good on lap 24. Capirossi also passed Dani four laps later, while Pedrosa smartly settled for third (and key points) rather than risk a fall retaliating.
Hayden and Stoner battled hard for fourth, with the young Aussie edging the Kentucky Kid at the stripe. Konica Minolta Honda�s Makoto Tamada was seventh, Fortuna Honda�s Toni Elias ninth, while Kenny Roberts Jr. (Team Roberts KR211V) retired early with so-far undiagnosed problems.
And while Nicky�s fifth-place result snapped his eight-round podium finish streak, the Repsol Honda ace still leads the championship chase, albeit more narrowly now, with 83 points to Melandri�s (and Capirossi�s) 79, Pedrosa�s 73 and Stoner�s 65.
The 2006 FIM MotoGP World Championship now heads to Mugello, Italy, for round six action gridding up on Sunday, June 4.
FIM MotoGP World Championship Results, Rd. 5
1. Marco Melandri � Honda
2. Loris Capirossi � Ducati
3. Dani Pedrosa � Honda
4. Casey Stoner � Honda
5. Nicky Hayden � Honda
6. Colin Edwards � Yamaha
7. Makoto Tamada � Honda
8. Sete Gibernau � Ducati
9. Toni Elias � Honda
10. Chris Vermeulen � Suzuki
FIM MotoGP World Championship Points Standings
1. Nicky Hayden � 83 � Honda
2. Marco Melandri � 79 � Honda
3. Loris Capirossi � 79 � Ducati
4. Dani Pedrosa � 73 � Honda
5. Casey Stoner � 65 � Honda
6. Colin Edwards � 45 � Yamaha
7. Toni Elias � 44 � Honda
8. Valentino Rossi � 40 � Yamaha
9. Sete Gibernau � 33 � Ducati
10. Makoto Tamada � 33 � Honda
