By Matt Roberts BBC Sport at Circuit de Catalunya

Look at his face, just look at his face... Lorenzo struggles to share Rossi's joy

With 106 points and two victories each so far this season, the three men that stood on the Barcelona podium on Sunday - Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner - helped write another thrilling chapter in motorcycling history at Circuit de Catalunya.

The Italian sorcerer and his Spanish apprentice may come from contrasting backgrounds but their exchange in the parc ferme winners' enclosure afterwards showed what they have in common.

"Bellisima!" beamed winner Rossi, slapping his Fiat Yamaha team-mate on the back after his stunning overtake on the final corner to win the race.

"Hasta la próxima," - Until next time - growled Lorenzo, forcing a smile for the sake of the cameras.

'La próxima' comes a week on Saturday at Assen in Holland, which was the scene of the most recent last-lap drama to rival events in Barcelona - the memorable all-American affair between Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards in 2006.

After Sunday's drama, Rossi told us that he had been dreaming of that audacious pass all week, but it had featured in Lorenzo's worst nightmares for much longer than that.

In the raceday programme, the Spaniard discussed the intricacies of the Montmeló layout, and when asked whether it was possible to pass in that final bend he replied: "No, unless you are Rossi."

How right he proved to be and in fact it was not the first time Rossi had passed there.

Casey Stoner pointed out that he was on the receiving end of a similar move in 2007, although on that occasion there were three laps left and the Australian was able to recover the lead down the straight.

Whilst the Yamaha pair were fighting it out with each other, Stoner won his own battle against illness to claim a very impressive third place.

Stoner was absolutely physically drained after Sunday's race

So debilitated was he by stomach cramps that Stoner only slept for two hours on Saturday night, and he admitted after the race that he had considered pulling out at the halfway stage.

That he set the fastest lap of the race is testament to the fact that he would otherwise have been involved in that epic fight for victory - perhaps the only factor missing from one of the greatest race finishes of all time, but that would be nit-picking!

As dramatic finishes go, you don't get them much more eventful than the one in Sunday's 125cc race, when Julian Simon comically celebrated across the line thinking he had won the race when there was still one lap to go.

Simon waves goodbye to his chance of victory in Barcelona

"On the previous lap I saw 'L1' on the control tower, so I thought that the race was over and when I didn't see the chequered flag I didn't know what had happened - it leaves a bittersweet taste," reflected Simon, who did brilliantly on the real final lap to fight back from sixth place to what was initially recorded as third.

However, the tragicomedy took a final, excruciating twist in parc ferme, when Simon was told he had lost third place to team-mate Sergio Gadea in a photo finish. Talk about kicking a man while he's down!

The third of the Bancaja Aspar Team riders is, of course, Britain's Bradley Smith, who benefited from Simon's misfortune in that it limited the damage to his own championship hopes.

Eighth place for Bradley, who suffered all weekend to find a set-up for the sweltering conditions, meant he lost the lead in the World Championship, but at least it is only by 1.5 points.

On a weekend of drama all round, with the Spanish press eagerly reporting the arrest of Lorenzo's former manager Dani Amatriaín for alleged death threats, criminal damage and other offences, I'll leave you with a couple of bits of gossip which made the headlines the morning after the race.

Simone Corsi has split with Sito Pons' 125cc team and will ride for the Fontana outfit at Assen, where the 250cc race could be without fellow Italian Mattia Pasini because his team owes money to Aprilia for the lease of his bike.

Also, Dani Pedrosa is supposedly in trouble with the Spanish taxman after claiming to have lived in London for a few years. Supposedly.

I apologise if these do not sound like groundbreaking revelations to you. Maybe you've just been spoiled for dramatic finales?

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version