Barcelona, 8 June 2008: Under sunny skies the Catalunya Grand Prix was run at a very hot pace today but LCR Honda MotoGP Team rider Randy De Puniet did not finish the race crashing out on lap twelve while he was in 6th position. De Puniet qualified fourth yesterday for the 25-lap race at the Spanish track and made a good start from the second row ending the first lap in 5th position.

The Frenchman aboard the Michelin-shod Honda RC212V immediately set an impressive rhythm after the start of the seventh round of the season battling in a 5-rider group till the beginning of twelfth lap. Then De Puniet lost the front entering the first corner and he crashed in the gravel. Luckily he escaped unhurt from the incident but was not able to rejoin the race.
Pedrosa won the race ahead his fans followed by Rossi and Stoner.
The MotoGP championship will move to England for the Donington GP on the 22 of June.


De Puniet – crashed: “I am very disappointed because I made a very good qualifying, the best of this season so far, and got a very good start. On lap one I was fifth and could keep my position easily because my pace was consistent and fast. When I got the sixth place I knew that I could overtake Edwards and was waiting for the correct moment but, at turn one on lap twelve, I lost the front and crashed out. I suffered the same crash on Friday in the free session but do not understand why because the bike set-up was good and in the previous laps I did not feel any particular problem in the front-end. Honestly I do not make any mistake and will check the data to understand what happened”.


Race:

1 Pedrosa
2 Rossi
3 Stoner
4 Dovizioso
5 Edwards
6 Toseland
7 Vermeulen
8 Hayden
9 Nakano
10 Hopkins
11 Melandri
12 West
13 Guintoli

OUT: De Puniet, De Angelis, Capirossi, Elias