Repsol Honda's Casey Stoner was the clear winner in what can only be described as a processional MotoGP race in Spain this afternoon with only a handful of overtakes seen in 25 laps of racing across the top ten riders.
The Australian former world champion led from lap two after using the HOnda lane to pass Jorge Lorenzo who was another rider not troubled by anyone around him for the rest of the race.
Lorenzo's team-mate Ben Spies took his first podium of the year in third while Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi passed each other twice before the Honda man found enough pace to pull a gap - but not enough to catch Spies.
Marco Simoncelli scythed his way backwards from pole to mid-pack and then fought his way past Nicky Hayden to bag sixth. It looked like he had the pace to make an impact on the podium but maybe the spankings he took at the hands of race direction prevented that and he finished behind Rossi.
On the upside, Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow had to overtake Nicky Hayden to take his best ever result of seventh and said afterwards he should have gone with the soft tyre as the hard compound took too much time to get any heat in. Oh, De Puniet and Hiro Aoyama crashed out. And it nearly rained. Then didn't.
