Sepang MotoGP: Brave Bradley Smith claims second

Bradley Smith rode through the pain barrier to claim a deserved second place in Sepang that secured the British teenager the runner-up slot in the world 125GP championship.
Riding with two broken bones in his right foot after a massive qualifying crash, the 18-year-old was locked in a terrific race long duel with Aspar Aprilia team-mate and newly crowned world champion Julian Simon.
But just as in Phillip Island a week earlier, Smith was to lose out in a thrilling last lap, Simon holding off a fierce challenge from the Oxfordshire rider at the final corner.
Smith’s second though assured him of the runner-up berth in the championship and he’s now scored five consecutive podium finishes.   
The former Repsol Honda rider though was again undone by a brilliant last lap performance from Simon, who held his nerve under intense pressure to deny Smith a third win of 2009.
Smith said: “I think that I had the best pace of the weekend in the race. I had a moment where I passed Julian and was trying to break free, but I made a mistake that cost me a few metres. I am happy because myself and Julian both had a good battle, just like in Australia.
"Last week I lost because he rode perfectly, but this time it was a bit more my fault as I made an error on the last turn. Luckily my foot injury didn't affect things too much, although yesterday the crash made the break that I picked up in Estoril bigger.
"I took painkillers that helped me take the discomfort for more or less the entire time, and I hope that I can have another fight with my teammate next time out in the final race of the year -this time with me winning!
"We took the runner-up spot today, and it is a great achievement for the team to take first and second in the championship."