Rossi powers through rain to win in China

World champion Valentino Rossi powered his Yamaha through torrential rain to win the inaugural Chinese MotoGP Grand Prix yesterday.

The Italian took the lead early in the race when Kenny Roberts's Suzuki fell victim to the wet conditions and he quickly built a five-second advantage at the Shanghai International Circuit.

France's Olivier Jacque, a replacement rider for Kawasaki and a former world 250cc champion, ate into Rossi's lead over the final laps but had to settle for a surprising second at the end of the 22-lap, 116-km race.

Italy's Marco Melandri on a Honda was third after overtaking Spanish team-mate Sete Gibernau, whose back tyre shredded, on the last lap.

The win extends Rossi's lead in the championship after he won the first race of the season in Spain and was second in Portugal.

Rossi, who finished in 50 minutes 2.463 seconds yesterday, has 70 points to Melandri's 45 and 43 for Brazilian Alex Barros.

Rossi, sixth on the starting grid, said he had not expected to triumph in the wet. "I think it was the biggest surprise of my career to win today."

The 125cc race was delayed by 30 minutes because of the heavy rain and visibility was very poor when the MotoGP started.

Gibernau, a wet weather specialist, was on pole position but he lost the lead on the first rain-soaked corner by going wide.

The riders took it easy over the early laps although Carlos Checa and Troy Bayliss fell.

Once Rossi had taken the lead, there was going to be only one winner and interest was centred on the performance of Jacque who started 15th on the grid. The 31-year-old was called up for the Chinese race after German Alex Hofmann cracked his wrist in a demonstration ride last month.

Jacque showed extraordinary skill on a new bike on a wet track to finish just 1.7 seconds behind Rossi. "It's like a dream, it's a big surprise," said Jacque. "It's very strange to be back after one year. I feel like a hair in a soup, or rather a fish in water."

Leading MotoGP standings: 1. Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 70; 2. Melandri (Italy) Honda 45; 3. Barros (Brazil) Honda 43; 4. Biaggi (Italy) Honda 36; 5. Gibernau (Spain) Honda 33; 6. Edwards (US) Yamaha 25; 7. Jacque (France) Kawasaki 20; 8. Nakano (Japan) Kawasaki 19; 9. Checa (Spain) Ducati 17; 10. Hayden (US) Honda 16.

Stoner again tops 250cc race

Aprilia rider Casey Stoner became the first Australian rider to take back-to-back victories in the 250cc class by winning yesterday's Chinese GP.

Italian Andrea Dovizioso took second place, with Japan's Honda rider Hiroshi Aoyama third.

World champion Daniel Pedrosa finished in sixth place after starting second.

Dovizioso stays on top of the standings with 53 points, three ahead of Stoner who has 50. Pedrosa is currently third on 48 points.

Italian Mattia Pasini on an Aprilia won the 125cc race after colliding with compatriot Fabrizio Lai, who had led for most of the race, on the home straight.

Lai, on a Honda, hung on for second and Hungary's Gabor Talmacsi took third place on a KTM. Championship leader Mika Kallio of Finland on a KTM finished 11th.

"I enjoyed battling against Fabrizio very much," Pasini said. "I tried to make him nervous."

Kallio has 50 points after three races followed by Lai with 49 and Pasini 46.