Steve Parrish's MotoGP column
Last updated on .From the section MotoGP
What a win for Jorge Lorenzo in Misano and what a boost for the championship!
The defending champion will be revitalised now and a win like that will motivate the whole Yamaha team.
Lorenzo was very brave in the first few laps when it started to rain - and that bravery won him the race.
It's very tricky when it starts to rain and a rider is on slick tyres. It is difficult to know how much grip there is on the track, so it was very impressive to see him making such a bold pass at the first corner.
I interviewed him days before the San Marino race and he said he couldn't win the championship. I bet he has changed his mind now.
With only five races left, one DNF for championship leader Casey Stoner, whose advantage is down to 35 points, and there is all to fight for again.
I was really surprised to hear that at the end of the race. We presumed he was struggling with tyres but he put it down to fatigue.
The rest of the riders seemed fine and you wouldn't normally question the Australian's fitness.
He struggled with a virus a few years ago and maybe he is still not 100% right after that. It seems strange.
We were talking before the race that the trip back from Indianapolis was a tough schedule but it is the same for everyone and clearly Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa were not troubled.
Stoner's team will certainly be trying to find out the reasons for his tiredness. Given we have some races coming up in hot conditions in Malaysia and Japan, he could be in for a struggle.
Stoner may not have felt right but at least his substantial lead at the top of the standings meant he could back off and collect some important points, although he wouldn't have banked on Pedrosa coming past him.
There were clearly no team orders at Repsol Honda, which is good to see. Stoner still has a healthy advantage but at least the championship is alive.
It was very unusual to have no Italians on the podium in Misano but there were at least some positive signs for Valentino Rossi. He had a great first lap to move up to fifth place and looked good for the first half of the race.
There were thousands of fans chanting his name at the end but he needs to be back up at the front next season.
It will take a radical overhaul at Ducati but it needs to happen. It is a bit embarrassing to see him scrabbling around outside the top three. It is the equivalent of Roger Federer being knocked out by someone ranked 100 in the world.
