Raging bull Pedrosa 'elbowz' out Spies in Indy | Thebigtip

The setting couldn't have been any more idyllic for today's Indianapolis Grand Prix. Glorious sunny weather, a raging championship battle to enjoy, and an American MotoGP rookie sitting proudly on pole. It was Ben Spies' moment in the spotlight, and the rider known affectionately as 'Elbowz' for his curious limb-protruding riding style looked set to snatch his inaugural grand prix win.

He took the start gallantly on his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha, keeping a strong hold on his well-earned advantage for five circuits of the searing 26-lapper. Runaway championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, having made an unusually poor start from second, was soon floundering in fifth with a charging Rossi all over the back of him, leaving the young American with only Honda-mounted Dani Pedrosa to worry about. Fellow countryman Nicky Hayden may have taken off from third place on the grid, but the pitiful all-American reject, who hasn't really been on form since winning the 2006 world title, was hardly likely to trouble him and he soon slipped down the pecking order into virtual obscurity.

One early faller was luckless Marco Melandri - for whom Indy marked his 200th grand prix - as the front end of his San Carlo Honda Gresini slid away from him on only the third lap. It all began to unravel then for a couple of key protagonists, as Pedrosa poached the lead from Spies, and Casey Stoner fell victim to a front-end wash-out in an utterly dire weekend for the Australian and his Ducati team.

Like a bulldog with a bone, Pedrosa clamped his teeth firmly around his race lead and took it completely unchallenged to the chequered flag. Plucky Spies, who has just landed himself a plum factory Yamaha ride for 2011, held off the rest of the field to claim a second podium for himself and for Tech 3. Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso enjoyed a wobble-inducing tussle for third, and it was the Mallorcan who ultimately triumphed; preserving his 100% podium finishing record in the process. Dovizioso conceded fourth place to a marauding Rossi, 'Hopalong' finally keeping it on the black stuff after bailing out no less than three times over the course of the racing weekend. 

Hayden hung on for sixth, but it was his former team mate Pedrosa who had the last laugh. By taking his third victory this season, he reduces the gap to Lorenzo to 68 points. Misano beckons next weekend, and as they say somewhere in the world, this ain't going down without a fight. It's going to be messy, and someone is going to get hurt.