Berlin: Valentino Rossi kept alive the defence of his MotoGP title with a battling victory in the German Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Italian surged through the field from his qualifying position of 11th for a second straight win at the twisting Sachsenring circuit, holding off a stiff challenge from compatriot Marco Melandri to win by 0.145 seconds.
Rossi becomes the first rider to pass 3,000 points in all categories. American Nicky Hayden completed the podium and maintained his lead in the overall championship with 169 points.
Spain's Dani Pedrosa, fourth on Sunday after starting from pole, slipped to third in the championship race on 140 points behind Rossi who has 143.
"I was able to get off to a great start and immediately got among the leaders," Rossi said. "It was a real battle, especially with Marco at the end."
The seven-times world champion in all classes, who is gunning for his sixth consecutive 500cc title, donned an Italian soccer shirt emblazoned with the name of controversial defender Marco Materazzi on his victory lap.
Materazzi, who plays for Rossi's team Inter Milan, was on the wrong end of a Zinedine Zidane head-butt in the soccer World Cup final and has admitted goading the French captain.
"I called him last week and really wanted to get his shirt," Rossi said. "It was an honour for me to wear it."
On the 10 previous occasions he had qualified outside the top 10, Rossi had taken four podiums and one victory.
At the British Grand Prix on July 2, he started in 12th and battled through to second despite the pain of hand and ankle injuries. "It was an incredible race," Melandri said on Sunday.
The Honda rider had also locked horns with Rossi in the battle for second place at Donington Park.
"I tried my hardest but he was very, very quick and closed all the doors. But if I fight like that every Sunday I'm sure I can win again this season."
Major Strain
The Sachsenring offers spectators impressive views but its contrasting fast and slow sections and predominantly left-hand curves present a challenge to riders and puts a major strain on their tyres.
American Kenny Roberts lost control of his machine at a corner on lap 13, sliding into Makoto Tamada of Japan and taking both riders out of the battle for the lead.
Australian rookie Casey Stoner missed the race after he crashed his Honda in the warm-up. The 20-year-old, who is sixth in the championship standings, suffered concussion and bruising to his hands and was taken to hospital.
There are seven races left this season, with riders next week heading to Laguna Seca in California.
Earlier, Yuki Takahashi of Japan grabbed his second victory of the season in the 250cc class, pipping San Marino's Alex de Angelis on the final curve.
The win put the 22-year-old Honda rider third in the championship standings ahead of de Angelis in fourth. Aprilia's Jorge Lorenzo of Spain was third and overtook Italy's Andrea Dovizioso in the race for the overall title.
In 125cc, Italy's Mattia Pasini also claimed his second victory of the season. The 20-year-old held off Aprilia team mate and championship leader Alvaro Bautista of Spain with the Czech Republic's Lukas Pesek a close third.
Bautista extended his lead in the championship standings over Finland's Mika Kallio to 64 points. Kallio finished a disappointing eighth on Sunday.
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