Lorenzo beats Stoner to win MotoGP Qatar

Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo triumphed in the season opening MotoGP race at Losail in Qatar today. The Spaniard beat Honda's Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner to the race win after starting the 22 lap race from pole position.

Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo triumphed in the season opening MotoGP race at Losail in Qatar on Sunday. The Spaniard beat Honda's Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner to the race win after starting the 22 lap race from pole position.

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Lorenzo was beaten off the start line by Stoner as the Australian maintained a gap of just under two seconds in the lead until he started to suffer from tyre wear. Lorenzo and Pedrosa, who were running second and third, were able to close in on the defending MotoGP world champion and the former passed Stoner with five laps to go.

Pedrosa followed suit two laps later as Stoner continued to struggle with his tyres. Further down the field, Britain's Cal Crutchlow finished fourth ahead of his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha teammate and former Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso.

Nicky Hayden's Ducati was next across the line in sixth as his teammate and former seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi finished tenth.

America's Colin Edwards was the highest placed CRT class rider in 12th place.