US MotoGP: Hayden leads American 1-2

The realisation that a lifetime's dream has just come true - Hayden on the podium - keen judges suggest this will not be the only time Hayden greets the chequered flag first

Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi on the victory dias at Laguna Seca

The infamous corkscrew on the first lap - hayden is already gone, with Rossi, Bayliss, Biaggi, Melandri, Nakano and Edwards in pursuit

Valentino Rossi congratulates Nicky hayden on his maiden pole position

Brad Pitt dropped into the Yamaha ... err, camp ... and met Colin and Alyssia Edwards

Rossi chases Edwards during the middle stages of the race - Edwards local knowledge won the day

The two best motorcycle roadracers the world has ever seen - Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi

The view up the hill of the main straight at the finish - it was a lot closer at the end than the middle race suggested

Troy Bayliss qualified fourth and finished sixth and was very unhappy with his effort

Makota Tamada was in the mix but continued a year where his results belie his immense ability

Alex Barros in practice - his race was to last less than a lap

Marco Melandri will be backing up next meeting for his third rider-to-rider scrap after tangling with Max Biaggi last meeting and Alex barros this time

Max Biaggi signing autographs at Laguna Seca

During the middle race Hayden's margin grew quite large

Sete Gibernau is now nearly four wins behind his rival Rossi

Bayliss holds off Tamada for sixth and moves into the top 10 in the championship - 7 points in front of the person who replaced him in the Ducati team - Carlos Checa

The most instantly recognisable corner in MotoGP

Sadly, Marco Melandri did not see the end of the race, as he would have certainly been amongst the points

On the podium the very first time he saw Laguna Seca, Rossi will not be such easy pickings next time

Well done to Nicky Hayden

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