Lorenzo wins first round as Stoner flops

MOTOGP: Jorge Lorenzo claimed victory at the opening round of the MotoGP season in Qatar as Casey Stoner’s challenge faded under the lights of the Losail circuit.

Yamaha rider Lorenzo started from pole and led for the opening laps before Stoner’s Honda powered past to take a lead that the reigning champion did not look like relinquishing until the latter stages.

After establishing a cushion of around two seconds at the front, Stoner’s bid fell apart in the closing laps as the physical toll of the race hit his hopes and dropped him to an eventual third-placed finish.

Stoner revealed afterwards that he had been suffering from ‘arm pump’, a condition common among motorcycle racers that causes muscular swelling in the arm as a consequence of gripping the handlebars.

The problem first dropped him behind Lorenzo into second, and then to third at the flag as team-mate Dani Pedrosa swept past to claim the runner-up spot.

Fourth place went to Britain’s Cal Crutchlow.

Lorenzo was happy to take the victory however it came about, and was delighted to make a perfect start to his bid to wrest back the championship that Australian rider Stoner claimed from him last season.