Stoner crashes out in Le Mans
May 25, 2010
Casey Stoner failed to finish the Le Mans MotoGP race held on the weekend
Nicky Hayden produced another valiant challenge for a podium position in the Grand Prix de France at Le Mans this afternoon, finishing fourth in a race that saw his Ducati Marlboro team-mate Casey Stoner suffer the misfortune of a crash while trying to close the gap to the front three.
It was an early and disappointing end to a tough weekend for the Australian, who lost the front end of his Desmosedici on the third lap. However, there was still plenty of excitement for the Ducatisti amongst a 82,000 crowd to enjoy as Hayden took the fight to the frontrunners, passing Dani Pedrosa to take fourth place on the final lap, crossing the line just 1.5 seconds behind Andrea Dovizioso in third.
The race was won by Jorge Lorenzo ahead of Valentino Rossi.
"I’m really disappointed because the bike has felt great all weekend, I’ve been pushing the front wherever I wanted but for some reason when the race has come around it felt like it was going to fold," Stoner said.
"It’s something we have to get to the bottom of and we need to do it soon because it is not good to start the season with only one finish from three races.
"I haven’t changed anything with my riding style but if I need to do something then we have to work out what and I can do it.
"Maybe it’s because when I’m behind slower riders in the race I’m not able to put the same pressure on the front.
"I’m not sure at the moment, to be honest, so we need to sit down and work out what’s best for the next race.”
