Stoner relieved to convert pace into win

The Ducati rider had been fastest for most of the Assen weekend and duly led every lap of the race to take his second consecutive victory.

But Stoner admitted that his strong form in practice and qualifying had actually made him more anxious about the race, especially as the weather forecast was uncertain.

"We've known we've had the pace to do it, but coming to race day it makes you more nervous when the only thing that can go wrong is you," he said in the winner's press conference.

"I really didn't want to make any mistakes today. I didn't want to have the weather in the mix, maybe throwing a few spits and spots (of rain) here and there, but it managed to stay clear for the race so I'm pretty happy about that.

"I've got to really take my hat off to my team: they've been doing such a good job these last few races to get us back on the pace and competitive again."

Stoner's ultimate winning margin of 11.3 seconds was actually narrower than his practice form had indicated it might be, but the world champion said he had been deliberately conservative and could have pushed harder.

"It wasn't necessary to go faster," he told Italia1 television. "I was pulling away by almost one second per lap. On the last lap of the race the tyres and everything were working well enough to take the lap record again.

"But it's not necessary, because we have the fuel consumption to think about and things like this. The more you push at the end, the more difficulties you have, as you saw with Nicky (Hayden).

"Also, the wind conditions were not good today and there was a chance of rain, so in your mind you don't really want to push 110 per cent because you're afraid of making a mistake."

The Assen win has also improved Stoner's title prospects, closing him to within 29 points of new series leader Dani Pedrosa, and 25 of second-placed Valentino Rossi, who fell on the opening lap in the Netherlands.

"As for Valentino crashing, it's very unfortunate," Stoner said in the press conference. "I don't want to catch up in points in that way. But I've had my run of bad luck as well from the beginning of the season, so it's time that we started to have some decent results."

But having played down his championship hopes after winning at Donington Park last week, Stoner now intimated that he felt he was part of a three-way title contest with Rossi and Pedrosa.

"We seem to be the only three battling with each other," he told Italia1. "I cannot predict the future, we just have to wait and see. But for sure I think I'll keep fighting at the front and so will Dani and Vale."