By Steve Parrish BBC motorbikes commentator

There is going to be a tremendous three-way mid-season battle Steve Parrish

A sense of normality seems to have returned to the MotoGP season after Valentino Rossi's trademark victory at Mugello last weekend.

It was what I call a standardised race opposed to some really odd races and results we have had this season at Le Mans and Istanbul.

Rossi's win was pretty comfortable and it gave him an incredible sixth-successive victory at the Italian track.

It was such a mature, class ride from him considering he didn't get a particularly good start and he got pushed and shoved around.

But he chipped away at it, got out in front, got the hammer down and no-one could stay with him.

I was very impressed and it was great to see the true Rossi that we all know so well prove a lot of doubters wrong.

To anyone saying, 'this season could be the end of Valentino Rossi,' my answer is 'no way!'

He has had a bit of bad luck, but I said if Michelin could sort their tyre package out then everything would get back on track for him.

It was important that Rossi and Yamaha didn't have a knee-jerk reaction and go off at a tangent, and sensibly they have worked away at it and have now got the rewards.

Catalunya MotoGP Live: Qualifying, Saturday, BBCi and bBC Sport website, 1245 BST Race live, Sunday, BBC Two and BBC Sport website, 1230 BST MotoGP Extra, BBCi and BBC Sport, 1350 BST MotoGP on the BBC

Championship leader Casey Stoner's fourth place in Italy was by no means a disaster but it has certainly cranked up the pressure.

It's given him a reminder, should he need one, that he is battling with a five-times world champion and he is going to have to dig deep this year.

It was a fairly mature ride from the Australian at Mugello. He could have gone hell for leather to try and catch Rossi, but he didn't and he picked up 13 points.

It was a ride that from somebody that wants to win the race for the championship not somebody who is trying to win every race.

Ducati are nurturing him along nicely.

Also in Mugello we saw a bit of a renaissance from Honda with Dani Pedrosa's second place finish.

A lot of things have happened that you wouldn't have put your money on Steve Parrish

They know they probably haven't built the best package, but they've got the biggest cheque book so they can right their wrongs.

And of course this weekend's race in Catalunya gives Pedrosa the luxury of home advantage.

Last season's race here in Spain was memorable for Sete Gibernau catching the back of Loris Capirossi and wiping out what seemed to be half the field.

That was a massive disappointment for many riders and none more so than the injured Capirossi who saw his championship hopes fade.

That's a fact of motorcycle racing - you are always vulnerable.

We are a third of the way through the races now and it's been a pretty unusual season.

A lot of things have happened that you wouldn't have put your money on, I don't think anyone put cash on Stoner going into Mugello leading the championship by as many points as he did.

But I see a bit more normality coming back to the season and think there's going to be a tremendous three-way mid-season battle between an Italian, an Australian and a Spaniard.

1. Rossi2. Pedrosa 3. Stoner