"Rossi talks twelfth to second"

Valentino Rossi charges twelfth to second in the Grand Prix of Australia.

Valentino Rossi gave a classic display of their fighting spirit at Phillip Island on Sunday, when the newly crowned MotoGP six time world champion overcame the aftermath of a huge drop in rating by the twelfth to the second.

"That was a very exciting race for me, from start to finish!" Rossi smiled. "Unfortunately I made a small mistake yesterday and I have paid a high price for it - both with my original position and with my body!

"This morning my neck was fine but I had a great pain in my head, so I have to say thank you to Dr. Costa and the Clinica Mobile because they gave me a lot of massage and some medicines and I was in better shape for the race. "

From the back of the fourth row, Rossi fell to eighth from the bottom of the opening round - disappeared in the strict sense a collision with Alex de Angelis in the process - and soon he was engaged in a thrilling battle for third place with fellow Yamaha riders James Toseland and Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi dispatch the Spanish within two laps and is Toseland, but shortly after the British put a spirited challenge, and third in wresting back hanging for five more laps before finally Rossi has the better of him on lap 13 of 27.

"The first time I passed James I thought I would be able to go, but then I went and I realized that his pace was not so bad, and we had a great battle!" Rossi recalled. "It was very strong and difficult to move on but once I got by I could go."

With a sure podium place eight times champion could have been forgiven for coastal home, but instead Rossi put everything on a jumper six seconds of difference Nicky Hayden. Little by little Rossi on the floor The Repsol Honda rider, the second theft in the last round and record his 14th podium of the season.

"I just kept pushing slowly and Nicky have bigger and bigger," said Valentino, who threw his knee sliders to the thousands of fans gathered under the podium. "It was fun to keep fighting until the last lap and I'm very happy with this second position because it is always a great thrill to be on the podium here.

"Thanks to my team and Bridgestone, with Casey was as strong as I think this is the best we could have done today and really enjoyed the race," he concluded.



2007 world champion Stoner led the race from start to finish, taking the checkered flag in his home race by 6.5secs over the 29-year-old Italian.

Stoner Rossi's victory means that the race run of five victories has come to an end, but Fiat Yamaha team manager Davide Brivio hailed "an incredible performance" of his star runner.

"We do not win, but this is another incredible performance by Valentino, demonstrating once again how it never gives up," said Brivio. "The championship is safe, was from the fourth row of the grandstand and have already been a good achievement, but still pushed to the maximum and made it to second!

"He was not in perfect shape, but the Clinica Mobile helped him a lot and was able to do his best once again. We are racing for fun and now we've had a lot of fun today in a race that was exciting for the start to finish, "he added.

Rossi now has a two-week period of rest to recover from their injuries Phillip Island before pursuing his ninth victory of the season during the penultimate round of the championship in Sepang on October 19.