Dani Pedrosa has won his second race back since breaking his collarbone, after a hard-earned victory over world championship contenders
Casey Stoner and
Jorge Lorenzo in Sunday's German Grand Prix.
The early stages of an exciting race conjured up images of the 2006 event - when Yamaha's
Valentino Rossi took on and beat three Honda riders - as Lorenzo led the factory RCVs of Stoner, Pedrosa,
Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli.
Still third as the middle stages came and went, Pedrosa began his march forwards soon after, and made his race-winning pass by blasting by Lorenzo's M1 along the home straight on lap 22 of 30.
By then Stoner was struggling with tyre problems and, although he finally got past Lorenzo with five laps to go, the Australian couldn't close on Pedrosa and instead found himself having to defend the runner-up position.
Lorenzo looked to have lost his chance to gain points on Stoner when he ran slightly wide during the final lap, but some defensive lines by Stoner allowed Lorenzo to get close enough to launch a last-turn pass that netted an unexpected second for the delighted Spaniard.
Ahead of him, Pedrosa won his second race of the year by 1.477sec, with Lorenzo reducing Stoner's title lead to 15 points heading into next weekend's Laguna Seca round.
Third Repsol rider Dovizioso and Gresini's Simoncelli lost touch with the leaders during the second half of the race, and were later caught by Lorenzo's team-mate Ben Spies.
A last turn attempt to re-pass Dovizioso for fourth saw Simoncelli run wide and Assen winner Spies snatch fifth from the Italian.
Another final turn showdown decided seventh place, with Rizla Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista winning a thrilling battle against factory Ducati riders
Nicky Hayden and
Valentino Rossi respectively.