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Arguably the greatest motorcycle racer of the last 20 years, Valentino Rossi, equalled Giacomo Agostini's record of 68 victories in the top Moto GP category by winning San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday.

Seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi won the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Spaniard Toni Elias.

The victory allowed the Italian to equal compatriot Giacomo Agostini's record of 68 victories in the top Moto GP category.

Rossi revealed that Agostini had wished him well ahead of the race.

"These last few days I saw that Agostini was a little unhappy; today though I saw him smile; he came to greet me, wished me well and I won," said the Italian star.



The victory stretched the Yamaha rider's lead in the world championship standings to 75 points with just five races left.

Pole-sitter and reigning world champion Casey Stoner of Australia crashed out on lap six while leading, handing Rossi a clear run to victory.

Stoner remains second in the world championship race but just two points ahead of Spain's Dani Pedrosa after the Honda Repsol rider finished fourth.

The Australian had flown off the start line and built up a lead of three seconds by the end of the second lap.

Pedrosa had the quickest start and went from sixth to second within the first few corners, leaving Rossi frustrated in being unable to challenge Stoner from the start.

But the little Spaniard didn't have the pace to hold off Rossi, who was soon up to second and chasing down Stoner.

The Australian made life easy for his main rival, though, by skidding off the track all on his own.

"I got away well but Pedrosa overtook me and I lost a lot of time," said Rossi.

"Stoney was flying, then I got back up to my (starting) place, I saw him fall and then things went well for me."

Rossi then coasted to victory with Spaniard Lorenzo overtaking his countryman Pedrosa before the Honda rider was relegated to third amongst his kinsmen as Elias also sailed past.

In the 250cc race Spaniard Alvaro Bautista, a former world champion at 125cc, won ahead of Japan's Yuki Takahashi with compatriot Hector Barbera in third.

Italian Marco Simoncelli still leads the standings despite falling when in third place, before rising to finish sixth.

Reigning champion Gabor Talmacsi of Hungary led an Aprilia 1-2-3 finish in the 125cc race ahead of Britain's Bradley Smith and Italy's Simone Corsi.

Corsi stays second in the standings behind Frenchman Mike Di Meglio, who failed to finish.

When did his contract with Ducati expire?

It does compete in GP races though, which says alot

MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi wants to celebrate his latest title success with another test at the wheel of Ferrari's F1 car.

The Italian won his sixth world title on Sunday, confessing afterwards in Japan that he misses the thrill of his flirt a few years ago with the four-wheeled world of grand prix racing.

Asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport what he would like as a reward for his 2008 championship, the 29-year-old replied: "I'd like to drive a Ferrari again. Not a road car, but the F1 one".

He insisted that "it would be a simple desire, with no future in it."

Rossi has two years to run on his MotoGP contract, to whom he reconfirmed his commitment by stating that "to start in F1 at 31 could be too late".

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, who has remained in close contact with Rossi since his first test with Ferrari in 2004, welcomed the proposal.

"He's great," the Italian said, adding that "everything can be done".

Rossi last tested for Ferrari in 2006.

MotoGP wants a single tyre supplier for 2009. Bridgestone has tendered and Michelin not, which means the most enduring overweight corporate logo in memory – the Michelin man – will be conspicuously absent in the paddock next year. Not cool.

French tyre manufacturer Michelin is to pull out of MotoGP after motorcycling's world governing body decided to use a single tyre supplier for the championship from 2009.

The International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) said last month it would allow just a single tyre manufacturer in the premier MotoGP class from next year and expected expressions of interest to be lodged by 3 October at the Australian race at Phillip Island.

Michelin said in a statement on Saturday it had not submitted a bid. In a separate statement, the FIM said it had received a bid from Japanese company Bridgestone Corp.

That proposal would be considered at the next MotoGP in Malaysia with a decision expected on 18 October, the FIM said.