Criville bounces back.
Alex Criville (pictured on the podium with Rossi) made a great return to form with a gritty third-place finish, closing on Abe towards the end of the race until he was only half a second adrift on the last lap.
Starting from a distant 12th on the grid after a weekend of set-up problems for his home Grand Prix, he found the right balance and recaptured his long-lost rhythm to send his home crowd into a frenzy.
Alex Criville (pictured on the podium with Rossi) made a great return to form with a gritty third-place finish, closing on Abe towards the end of the race until he was only half a second adrift on the last lap.
Starting from a distant 12th on the grid after a weekend of set-up problems for his home Grand Prix, he found the right balance and recaptured his long-lost rhythm to send his home crowd into a frenzy.
"It's great to be on the podium again," said Crivill?. "I had so many problems this weekend, but for Honda and Repsol and everyone this is where we should be. It feels like 1999 again and I'm riding like I know I can. Last year was so bad that everyone said I was finished. This result means a lot."
"It is like a victory for me and my fans," added the Spaniard. "I started from a position way back on the grid which certainly didn't make my job any easier today, but the crowd pushed me towards this success."
