Melandri takes win as Rolfo crashes out.

Marco Melandri takes the 250cc win today in the Czech Grand Prix at Brno. Melandri took his consecutive win and Dunlop's 100th consecutive win in the 250cc category.

In a largely unexciting race, as often befits the 250cc category, Melandri patiently watched as Roberto Rolfo led lap after lap through the race.

Melandri took the lead comfortably on the eighteenth lap, a mere three laps from the chequered flag. Rolfo, determined to go for broke after leading so much of the race, pushed just too hard and lost front end grip and low-sided his way out of the race with a mere lap and a half left to go.

At the start it was seventh qualifying Spaniard Toni Elias who made the moves and stormed into the lead. Down the field Hugo Marchand was the first to take an early bath as the Frenchman crashed out.

Elias was soon displaced at the front of the field and Fonsi Nieto led until the sixth lap when Rolfo adopted the head of the field. Rolfo kept this place, largely unchallenged, until Melandri made his move as the race neared its end.

Further down the field an action was seen by Shahrol Yuzy recording the fastest lap at that point on the fifth lap of the race. The Malaysian rider was looking particularly strong and well placed for his best finish of the season until the eleventh lap, where he had a spectacular high speed off.

Another rider putting in the moves further down the field was young Australian Casey Stoner. The Aprilia rider, who has been receiving much attention this year, started from 20th position yet by the fourteenth tour he was challenging for seventh.

Fonsi Nieto, by the fifteenth lap mark, decided it was time to challenge for the lead and started to put in the moves. His challenge was short-lived however, as the Italian made a mistake and was lucky to stay upright. Ultimately his mistake pushed him to take to the gravel, but he stayed upright and was abvle to rejoin the field in fifth place.

That left Melandri to take the attack to Rolfo, which he did with ease. Rolfo, not wanting to settle for second place, fell in his pursuit of Melandri leaving Porto to follow him across the line.

Elias took the third place ahead of Nito and the impressive Stoner.

Race Results:
1 Melandri
2 Porto
3 Elias
4 Nieto
5 Stoner
6 de Puniet
7 Locatelli
8 Matsudo
9 Aoki
10 Garcia