As the riders lined up on the grid we we’re minus both factory Yamaha riders Ben Spies, who withdrew after his injuries go the better of him, Jorge Lorenzo as well as John Hopkins who also had to withdraw due to injury.
As the lights went out Casey Stoner beat his pole positioned team mate Dani Pedrosa to the first corner and took the lead with both his team mates behind him and Marco Simoncelli and Alvaro Bautista chasing.
Simoncelli and Bautista had a great battle on the second lap with Bautista managing to get past but each time Simoncelli would cut back and denied the Italian the pass.
Then disaster struck on the second lap after Marco Simoncelli had a big accident, he lost the front of the bike and slid into the path of the oncoming Colin Edwards & Valentino Rossi, his helmet flew off and the rider was left on the track.
Edwards was clutching his wrist in obvious pain, Rossi managed to get back to the garage ok, cameras understandably turned away from Simoncelli.
News came through that Colin Edwards had dislocated his shoulder as well as possibly breaking something in his hand.
Replays did not make for nice viewing showing Simoncelli sliding off but rather than the bike going from under him it seemed to re-grip and punt him back across the track, knee down, into the path of the oncoming Edwards and Rossi who simply had nowhere to go but straight into the back of him, rider and bike.
The race was then cancelled, which IRTA/Dorna said was in respect of Marco Simoncelli who they said was conscious but in a critical condition. Our thoughts are with Marco Simoncelli.
