The pressure is on home heroes
Dani Pedrosa and
Jorge Lorenzo to stop
Valentino Rossi's three-race win streak as the
MotoGP World Championship returns to Spain for the second time at this weekend's Catalan Grand Prix.
Pedrosa won for Spain at
Jerez earlier in the year, but Rossi arrives in the Repsol Honda rider's back yard having now caught and passed the #2 to hold a 12 point lead heading into round seven.
Last year Rossi was involved in one of the best races of the season with world champion elect
Casey Stoner in Barcelona, with Pedrosa a high speed spectator in third place. Australian Stoner and his Marlboro Ducati return to Spain in good spirits after a well earned second place at the Italian Grand Prix last Sunday but there is no doubt that Rossi will be the man to beat.
Rossi's win at Mugello riding was his seventh successive victory in front of his adoring home crowd and the first time he's secured three successive wins in a season since 2005. It was his 91st grand prix victory and the Fiat Yamaha star also admits that the Circuit de Catalunya is his second favourite track in the 18 round championship. Mugello of course is his number one choice.
Pedrosa will have massive backing in Barcelona where he has had both 125 and 250cc success. He may also have a new Honda to ride. Japanese Tadayuki Okada came of our racing retirement to test the new pneumatic-valve Honda engine in Mugello. The 41 year old completed the race distance in 14th place and Honda will now decide if both Pedrosa and his team-mate
Nicky Hayden will at least use the new engine during practice this weekend.
Another Spanish rider desperate to do well is Lorenzo who held onto third place in the championship despite crashing out in Mugello. The 21 year old Fiat Yamaha rider did not damage his fractured ankles in the crash and is keen to return to Barcelona where he won the 250cc race last year.
