Cool, Calm Stoner Takes Third For Ducati MotoGP Team At Estoril -ozzy go- ducati.com

Ducati MotoGP Team rider Casey Stoner scored a hard-fought
third-place finish in today's thrilling Portuguese Grand Prix. Team-
mate Loris Capirossi completed a difficult weekend in ninth
position. The result gives Stoner a 76 point lead in the World
Championship with four races to go, keeps Ducati well ahead in
the constructors' points chase and maintains the Ducati MotoGP
Team's advantage in the teams' championship.

As ever, Stoner got the maximum out of his machinery to score a
fourth consecutive podium finish and his 11th top-three result
from the first 14 races of 2007. The awesome Australian led the
first five laps today but then had some trouble with his GP7's
clutch. Stoner slipped to third place but nevertheless kept his
cool, using his talent to ride around the problem and then close
the gap on leaders Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa during the
final stages. He finished just 1.477 seconds down on winner Rossi.
Capirossi struggled with set-up but had a busy race, fighting for a
top-ten finish with several rivals.

The MotoGP paddock now jets east for next Sunday's Japanese
GP, the first of three 'flyway' races which is followed by the
Australian and Malaysian GPs. click on ozzy go to the full report