Ducati Team’s Valentino Rossi recorded both his and his team’s best result since joining the Italian outfit last year at a rain hit race in Le Mans.

Having started in seventh, Rossi soon made his way into fifth, where he was involved in a lengthy battle with the two Monster Yamaha Tech 3 bikes for third. After getting the better of those, he proceeded to hunt down Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner in second, who he passed in a thrilling last lap battle.

His teammate Nicky Hayden also had a good race in the treacherous conditions, finishing in sixth.

Valentino Rossi

"It’s another podium, and it’s the best result with Ducati. I knew that today I’d have a special chance to fight for the podium in these conditions because the bike is always good in the wet. I tried to ride in a good way without making any mistakes. I had some problems with the visor at one time, and also the two Yamaha’s of Monster Tech 3 arrived. But when I fixed the small visor problem, I could push and I had a good pace, so I managed to catch Stoner. That was another great battle on the last lap, and I enjoyed it a lot. This second place is very important for me and for all the guys from Ducati."

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