Horhay Hin Horbit, Cracking Casey Comeback

When MotoGP goes to Estoril, everyone salivates over the 2006 race, which started with tiny terrorist Dani Pedrosa ramming his team-mate Nicky Hayden off the track, and ended with loveable birdbrain Toni Elias out-dragging Valentino Rossi over the line. Of course, that means that every race for ever more has to be a snoozefest. It's sod's law.

This time out, the racing was OK for a couple of laps, then the entire field strung out into a procession of almost F1-like tedium, but without the idiotic cheating.

Jorge Lorenzo had been quick all weekend on his FIAT Yamaha, and in the race he soon disappeared into the wide blue yonder. At least it was a slightly different sight, as the factory Yams were running a white colour scheme to promote FIAT's latest crapwagon.

Dani Pedrosa made his usual rocketship start, thanks to his power to weight ratio approaching that of a riderless bike. However, Casey Stoner had returned to ride the Melandri-bashing Marlboro Ducati, and was almost completely recovered from his fake illness. Back to his gobby self, he earned himself even less fans by slagging GP legend Kevin Schwantz. Trying to make the Yank crowds boo you as well, Casey?

At least during the race, Stoner couldn't complain to the media, so he focussed his energy on passing Dani Pedrosa and taking off in second place.

Dani had to settle for third position on his Repsol Honda.

Valentino Rossi trundled round in fourth, and complained of a lack of grip. For once, the Vale and Jerry show failed to set up the Yamaha.

The increasingly consistent Texas Tornado, Colin Edwards once again finished best of the rest, first of the satellite bikes as usual. His book of excuses must be all dusty and covered in cobwebs by now. The likeable Southerner hasn't needed to consult it since the innovative "Wet engine map" debacle, months ago.

Nobody really raced anybody for most of the race. A lot of people passed Nicky Hayden. The second likeable Southerner doesn't have a big book of excuses, and would be too honest to use one anyway. Ah well.

Jorge Lorenzo had decided that his white leathers looked like a space suit, so he had a crash hat made to look a bit like a space helmet. He celebrated by planting the Lorenzo's Land flag in a gravel trap, walking in slow motion as if he was on the Moon, and thereby proving beyond all reasonable doubt that the Moon landings were faked not in a studio in Nevada, but in a gravel trap in Portugal.

He also did the spaceman act on the podium, which caused his two grumpy podium-mates Pedrosa and Stoner to stop licking piss off nettles and crack brief smiles.

Jorge was h-outstanding, Stoner was too. Pedrosa was there or thereabouts as always. Rossi was AWOL. Finishing 4th on a factory Yamaha isn't much better than finishing 10th on a satellite one.