Rossi: Amazing race, vital result.

Valentino Rossi's dramatic 2006 season got back on track at Donington on Sunday, when the reigning five times MotoGP world champion charged from twelfth to second - despite a fractured wrist.

Roared on by a partisan crowd, who have taken the London based Italian to their hearts after a string of victories at the circuit, Rossi started steadily from twelfth on the grid - but soon got into his rhythm and carved clinically through the field, reaching the three-rider fight for second - between Casey Stoner, Marco Melandri and Kenny Roberts - with ten laps to go.

Rossi had passed all three within five laps - but Melandri fought back and the pair entered the final lap just a few bike lengths apart. The Fortuna Honda rider then overtook Rossi into the Fogarty Esses and the pair headed for the following Melbourne Hairpin almost side-by-side.

Both hit the brakes desperately late, but it was Rossi who held the tightest line and went on to take the runner-up spot behind the dominant Dani Pedrosa.

"That was an amazing race and a very important result for me. It took me eight laps to understand just how good my pace could be and from that point I realised that my goal had to be the podium," revealed the Camel Yamaha rider. "I had some hard battles along the way but when I got up to Melandri it got even harder! We had real fun and neither of us wanted to back down. He was faster than me in some places and I was faster than him in others. In the end it came down to the last hairpin and we both braked around 20 or 30 metres deeper than normal. We both ran wide but luckily Marco went even wider than me and I was able to get in from of him. I finished second but today it felt like a win."

But "more important" than the result was that Rossi pulled 11 points back from championship leader Nicky Hayden, who struggled to seventh on Sunday. The Italian legend is now third in the championship, 35 points from the American and 9 points from fellow Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa.

"I am in a better position as far as the points are concerned and that is more important than winning the race," confirmed Valentino. "To be honest after Assen I wasn't sure if it would be possible to fight for a top result here but I wanted it so much because Donington is a very special place to me and the fans give me such incredible support every year."

"This was a very important race because despite Valentino's injury we have been able to close the gap to Nicky Hayden in the championship," added team director Davide Brivio. "Valentino said it was more like a victory and the feeling in the team is the same because of the physical condition he was in and the fact he started from so far back on the grid. There was never any doubt about Valentino's qualities but he has performed like a true world champion over a difficult few weeks and he deserves a rest now. Our engineers also did a great job to put everything together in time, they have also been working hard and will enjoy a couple of days off before the next race. Now we have eight races left and 35 points to make up before (the final round at) Valencia."