De Angelis ecstatic over charging fourth
MotoGP rookie Alex de Angelis was delighted with his charge from the back of the field to fourth place in today's MotoGP round at Mugello
The Gresini Honda rider made an awful start and was last at the first corner, but he charged back through the pack and was just 1.5 seconds shy of third-placed Dani Pedrosa at the chequered flag.
"After the first chicane I turned round and there was no-one there, I was dead last," he told Italia1 television. "I really went for the recovery because I was fastest in the warm-up and I had confidence.
"I had the slowest speed on the straight so it was tough to overtake, I could only do it under braking or in turns, but I never gave up."
De Angelis even thought he had a shot at a podium finish in the closing laps, as he rapidly gained on Pedrosa.
"When I could see Pedrosa losing ground from (Casey) Stoner I believed I could catch him," said de Angelis. "I got close, it was incredible, I'm ecstatic."
The result was De Angelis' highest MotoGP finish yet, as his previous best in his rookie season had been a lowly 11th at Estoril.
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