Number one Azzurri fan Valentino Rossi finished second as Spaniard Dani Pedrosa rode his Honda to victory in the Catalunya leg of the MotoGP World Championship on Sunday.

Pedrosa took an early lead and finished several seconds ahead of Italy's Valentino Rossi, who was engaged in a tight battle for second with Australia's reigning world champion Casey Stoner who finished third.

Rossi retained the championship lead with 142 points to Pedrosa's 135.

Rossi's injured Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo is third on 94, two points clear of Ducati's Stoner.

AFP

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