Loris Capirossi heads for Sunday's Catalan Grand Prix chasing a repeat of his debut Ducati victory of three years ago - a result which would put him back into the lead of the 2006
MotoGP World Championship.
The 33-year-old Italian has had a fantastic year on the
Bridgestone shod factory Ducati and arrives at the 2.937 mile Circuit de Catalunya brimming with confidence after a superb battle with world champion
Valentino Rossi and
Nicky Hayden at the previous round in Italy.
In that stunning race, Capirossi finally finished second behind Rossi but in front of Hayden and he now shares the championship lead with the American Repsol Honda rider on 99 points apiece. The 25 lap race on Sunday in front of a massive patriotic crowd should be another cracker.
The centre of the crowd's attention will be Hayden’s team-mate
Dani Pedrosa, who is certain to receive great support as he makes his first MotoGP appearance on his home track. The 20-year-old won the 250cc race last year and the 125cc event three years ago and has already won his first MotoGP race in China and been on pole twice - another victory for Dani on Sunday would send Barcelona wild.
Pedrosa is fourth in the championship, just 13 points adrift of Capirossi and Hayden and only three points behind the Fortuna Honda of
Marco Melandri in third place. The Italian was a disappointing sixth at Mugello after running off the track, but he is the only rider to win two grands prix this season and won the 250cc race in Barcelona four years ago.
Rossi gave the Camel Yamaha team their second victory of the season in Italy and they appear to have put all their early season handling problems - and talk of the champion’s defection to
Formula One - behind them. The 27-year-old Italian has an amazing record at the Circuit de Catalunya which started nine years ago when he won the 125cc race, followed by two 250cc victories and completed by four premier class wins in the last five years.
