Aussie victors look ahead to Mugello

Chris Vermeulen and Casey Stoner's success in the 2007 season, in which they have both racked up their first MotoGP victories, continue a superb run of form for Australian riders in the last six races.

Prior to the final race of 2006 at Valencia, there had been a six year gap between premier class winners from ‘Down Under'. Ducati wild card Troy Bayliss became the first Australian rider to take a win since Garry McCoy at the 2000 South African Grand Prix, and kickstarted the present run of Aussie success.

Since Bayliss' victory, five of the last six races have been won by his countrymen, the most recent of which being Vermeulen's wet weather masterclass last weekend. Stoner continues to lead the World Championship after winning three races this season, and his joining Vermeulen on the podium marked the first time since Mick Doohan and Daryl Beattie took to the rostrum at the 1995 Argentine Grand Prix that two Australian riders had finished in the top three.

Only Valentino Rossi has been able to interrupt the Antipodean party, winning at Jerez for Fiat Yamaha, and the Italian is on home soil next weekend at Mugello. Vermeulen and Stoner are well aware of the task ahead if they are to stop the five time MotoGP World Champion –and each other- from taking yet another triumph in Italy.

"Mugello is one of my favourite tracks; with the way that the Bridgestones and Ducati have been going this season, hopefully we can pull off a podium," said Stoner. "We'll just have to wait and see though; it will be very hard."

Vermeulen added that "It will be a difficult race. I have only been there once and it was hard to learn, but I'm looking forward to it."