MotoGP: Preview � Australian Grand Prix.

[Rory Phoulorie]

Wednesday, 10th October 2007

Casey Stoner returns home to a hero's welcome as the newly crowned MotoGP World Champion to his home venue of Phillip Island.


The twenty one year-old clinched the title at the previous round in Japan. Since the young Aussie picked up the title his sports mad countrymen have doubled the sales of grand prix tickets from last year at the magnificent seaside location.

Aboard the GP7 Marlboro Ducati, Stoner has dominated the Championship, he has won eight grands prix but he's never won a Championship race at the 2.763 miles Phillip Island track. Picking up the victory in the 26-lap race would really be the icing on the cake in a truly remarkable season for the Australian and his Italian team.

His team-mate Loris Capirossi returns to the track where he clinched the 1990 125cc World Championship, fresh from his superb victory in Japan. He leaves his Ducatisquad to join Suzuki at the end of the year and he would love to leave with another victory.

Former Champion, Valentino Rossihas a love affair with Phillip Island and his record at the circuit says it all. The Italian seven times World Champion has won seven grands prix at the track, two in the 250cc class followed by five successive MotoGPwins. He returns after a difficult year on the Fiat Yamaha but still holds second place in the Championship, 26 points in front of Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, who has very mixed memories of the circuit.

He won the 250cc race in 2005, the previous year clinched his first 250cc World title and in 2003 crashed and broke both his ankles in practice just four days after winning the 125cc World Championship � not the best way to celebrate.

The real battle which still remains open in the MotoGP class with three rounds remaining is for fourth place. The Rizla Suzuki pair of John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen, plus last year's winner Marco Melandri are separated by just eight points.

Out going World Champion Nicky Hayden is picking up some of the pieces after a disastrous defence of his title and last year started the rain-affected race from pole and eventually finished fifth, riding the Repsol Honda.

Frenchman Randy De Puniet and Spaniard Toni Elias took full advantage of the wet conditions in Japan to finish second and third respectively and both would be delighted with another podium finish although it would be tough going.

Colin Edwards knows the track like the back of his hand from his World Superbike days. Australian Ant West returns home to show the Australian fans just what a threat he is on the Kawasaki while the likes of grand prix winners Carlos Checa, Alex Barros and Makoto Tamada could be making their last MotoGP appearances in Australia.

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo will return to Phillip Island next year partnering Rossi in the Yamaha MotoGP team but on Sunday he has some unfinished business to wrap up in the 250cc class. Riding the Fortuna Aprilia, he holds a 36 point lead over Italian Andrea Dovizioso and a repeat of his victory last year would be enough for the 20 year-old to retain his title with two rounds remaining.

It will not be easy with the Aprilia duo of Alex De Angelis and last year's 125cc winner Alvaro Bautista and the KTM team of in-form Mika Kallio, who won in Japan and Hiroshi Aoyama capable of delaying the celebrations.

The 125cc Championship looks certain to go down to the final showdown in Valencia at the beginning of November. The 23-lap race on Sunday could have a massive bearing to the outcome with just nine points separating Bancaja team-mates Gabor Talmacsi and Hector Faubel. The problems for the two leaders are that there are many other riders capable of winning the race and finishing on the podium. The first seven riders in the Championship have all won races this year and they include Mattia Pasini whose victory in Japan was his fourth of the season.


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