Le Mans : 250cc raceThe quarter litre class contest at Le Mans saw World Champion Jorge Lorenzo extend his lead in the general classification to 32 points after five races of the 2007 season.
The Spanish rider continues to dominate the 250cc scene as he defends
his title but it was not a simple race for the talented 20 year old from Mallorca.
Fortuna Aprilia rider Lorenzo made a superb start to the Alice Grand Prix de France, to take the hole shot, whilst 125cc World Champion Alvaro Bautista got away brilliantly from fifth on the grid to shoot up to second on the first corner and immediately put pressure on his compatriot.
Blusens Aprilia rider Alex Espargaro slid off track on first lap but remounted to finish the race in last position whilst Thomas Luthi – the 125cc winner for last two years at Le Mans - ran off and retired on lap two. Shortly afterwards Karel Abraham and Jules Cluzel also crashed out.
Bautista was hunting down Lorenzo for the lead up until lap four when he suffered an off track excursion and rejoined the race in 19th place.
It was then down to Andrea Dovizioso (Kopron Team Scot) to put the pressure on race leader Lorenzo and it wasn't long before Alex de Angelis (Master – Mapfre Aspar) had also joined the fun. Those three riders did battle for the lead during the middle stages before De Angelis took control for a period of several laps.
Behind the leading three were Spanish pair Hector Barbera (Team Toth Aprilia) and Julian Simon (Repsol Honda), who were ready to pounce for a podium place if any of the leading group were to slip up.
With five laps to go Lorenzo went back in front of De Angelis and the title holder did not look back from there. De Angelis had to settle for third as he then also overtaken by Dovizioso who crossed the line in second place to earn 20 more championship points which could prove crucial if he is to have any chance of eventually pinning back the rampant Lorenzo.
Barbera and Simon took fourth and fifth respectively, while Metis Gilera's Marco Simoncelli and Red Bull KTM rider Mika Kallio were sixth and seventh and Bautista fought back after his early mistake to finish eighth.
There were also notable performances from Anthony West of Team Sicilia in tenth and Ratthapark Wilairot of Thai Honda PTT-SAG who finished 11th.
DORNA / CAPSIS International
