Crash takes out de Puniet, Bautista, and Espargaro.

Only six weeks after breaking both bones in his right leg, one of them a compound-out-of-the-skin fracture, the legendary Valentino Rossi returned to action at the Sachsenring in Germany last week and not only managed to qualify and finish, but was in a hot and heavy battle with Ducati's Casey Stoner for the third podium spot, only losing it in the last corner of the last lap.

Now that's an impressive return to action.

The race win went to Dani Pedrosa, with championship leader Jorge Lorenzo trailing in a safe second. The race was run in two parts, as a big crash involving Randy de Puniet, Aleix Espargaro, and Alvaro Bautista brought out the red flags; de Puniet ended up with an injury much like Rossi's, breaking both bones in his lower leg.

Behind the Stoner and Rossi battle, Repsol Honda's Andrea Dovizioso, Gresini Honda's Marco Simoncelli, and Marlboro Ducati's Nicky Hayden were brawling over fifth. Hayden had made a brilliant race after a terrible qualifying session, charging from 15^th starting position to scramble behind the leaders; he was in fifth when he nearly lost the front end entering the awesome "Waterfall" corner, then on the last lap the bike jumped out of gear for a second and he was unable to attack Dovi or Simoncelli. "On paper seventh place doesn't look like a great result but after qualifying 15^th yesterday actually it's not so bad," said the philosophical American.

Word is that Roger Lee Hayden, youngest of the Hayden brothers who's beating his head against the wall on an uncompetitive World Superbike Kawasaki this year, has been drafted in to replace de Puniet at the Laguna Seca Moto GP round. It makes sense; he has a good relationship with American Honda, knows Laguna well, and in fact finished 10^th there in a wild card Moto GP appearance for Kawasaki in 2007. The field needs him, or someone like him; with only 16 starters in Germany, and the possibility of losing two more if de Puniet's ride isn't filled (Espargaro may not be able to ride at Laguna either, pending further medical checks, and the team's already said they won't field a replacement rider if that happens) the already-sparse Moto GP grid is starting to look pretty empty. For sure everyone's looking forward to the planned changes to allow two classes of 1,000 cc bikes to join the grid in 2012.

Standings after eight of 18 races

1. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain, Fiat Yamaha, 185 points; 2. Dani Pedrosa, Spain, Repsol Honda, 138; 3. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy, Repsol Honda, 102; 4. Casey Stoner, Australia, Marlboro Ducati, 83; 5. Nicky Hayden, U.S.A., Marlboro Ducati, 78;

6. Valentino Rossi, Italy, Fiat Yamaha, 74; 7. Randy de Punet, France, 69; 8. Ben Spies, U.S.A., Tech 3 Yamaha, 67; 9. Marco Simoncelli, Italy, Gresini San Carlo Honda, 49; 10. Marco Melandri, Italy, Gresini San Carlo Honda, 45.

Next race, U.S. Grand Prix, Laguna Seca, July 25.