Highlights

Rossi wins Italian GP, revives hopes to retain world title

(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-05 09:23

SCARPERIA, Italy _ Defending world MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, his fifth straight victory at the Mugello circuit.

The Yamaha rider overtook Loris Capirossi in the next-to-last lap and just held off passing attempts by the fellow Italian on his Ducati.

Nicky Hayden of the United States was third on a Honda, ahead of Spanish MotoGP rookie Dani Pedrosa.

Rossi's second GP win of the season revived his hopes of retaining his world title.

"It was a fantastic, tough race, which at one moment I considered lost," said Rossi. "It was a great fight with Loris in one of the toughest races I can remember.

"I think both of us deserved victory today. Our bikes were equal in terms of performance."

Rossi took a corner wide in the 14th lap while leading and slipped back to sixth place as Capirossi hit the front.

The world champion was second by the 21st lap and in the next he overtook Capirossi on the inside at the Materassi corner in a daring, decisive move.

Capirossi drew level with Hayden atop the standings with 99 points after six of 17 rounds. Rossi moved up to fifth with 65.

"It was a great race," said Hayden. "It was nice to be back on the podium, but as always you want to be on the top."

Sete Gibernau, who had started from the pole on a Ducati, finished fifth after dueling with Rossi in the first half of the 23-lap race.

Marco Melandri, winner of the previous GPs in Turkey and France, ended up sixth after driving onto the gravel at a corner on lap 17.

Casey Stoner, Honda's Australian rider, escaped unhurt after a spectacular spill during lap 10. His bike was badly damaged, but the rider walked to the pits.