Toseland stays on top after tense Dutch duel

James Toseland lost a last-lap shoot-out with Chris Vermeulen in race two at Assen on Sunday but still left Holland as the World Superbike Championship leader.

The Yorkshireman won race one on his Ducati Fila to take over at the top of the standings and looked set to take the first double win of his career after streaking away in race two. But Australian Vermeulen, one of four riders locked in a tense title battle, had other ideas and took the victory for Dutch team Ten Kate Honda with a brave last-lap move.

Toseland moved three points clear of Vermeulen in the championship, with the French former leader Régis Laconi, also a Ducati Fila rider, 10 points off the pace in third.

In Estoril, Italy's Valentino Rossi won the MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday for the fourth year in a row after snatching the lead on the first lap. The Yamaha rider outduelled Makoto Tamada of Honda to extend his lead on top of the standings. Brazil's Alex Barros, also of Honda, was third.

Rossi won in 46:34.911, 5.111sec ahead of Tamada. The victory extends his lead at the top of the standings to 29 points over Spaniard Sete Gibernau of Honda, who finished fourth.