Angry Kallio crashes out in Brno on Ducati début

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Over the weekend, most sporting eyes were probably on either the exploits of 100 metres world record holder Usain Bolt at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, or on the opening matches in the English Premiership, or on Y.E. Yang's remarkable demolition of Tiger Woods's flawless record - 14 straight wins when leading in a Major tournament after 54 holes - at the USPGA in Minnesota.
     
However, those Finns who tired of seeing their own favourite sons and daughters eliminated in the early heats in Berlin could check out Mika Kallio's début as a rider for the works Ducati team at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno.
      Kallio is deputising for the indisposed 2007 World Champion Casey Stoner of Australia, and his first MotoGP ride on the factory bike was eagerly awaited.
     
Unfortunately it all ended in tears - and nearly in fisticuffs. Kallio was lying in 8th place and in his own estimation had a chance of improving his position to 6th when he was shunted from behind by Marco Melandri (Kawasaki) going through the fast final chicane on the penultimate lap. Both riders ended up on the gravel and had to retire.
      Mika Kallio was angered by the incident, claiming he had the right line and was not at fault for the crash. Melandri took a different view of things.
     
Kallio had started from 10th on the grid, and had spent several laps struggling to pass Alex de Angelis (Honda), but at the time of the crash he was actually the fastest on the road, and was only 0.7 seconds away from 6th place.
      Just about the only consolation Kallio could take from a disappointing first ride was that on the track he was narrowly faster - on his fastest lap - than his Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden, the 2006 World Champion. Hayden eventually finished 6th.
      Victory in the season's 11th race went to MotoGP leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), after his main rival Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) slid off five laps before the finish.
      Kallio is set to ride in two more races as Stoner's stand-in, at Indianapolis and Misano.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Mika Kallio to deputise for Casey Stoner in three MotoGP races (11.8.2009)

Links:
  MotoGP

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