Rossi takes MotoGP lead with Le Mans win

LE MANS, France (Reuters) - Valentino Rossi won the French Grand Prix on Sunday to celebrate his 90th victory in all categories and take the lead in the MotoGP world championship.

The Italian, who started from the second row on a rainy day, finished comfortably ahead of Spanish team mate Jorge Lorenzo, cleared to race despite injuring both his ankles in a crash in China two weeks ago.

American Colin Edwards completed a Yamaha sweep of the podium places with third.

Spain's Dani Pedrosa, who had claimed pole position, finished fourth on his Honda to lose the championship lead to Rossi.

Former champion Rossi leads the standings on 97 points, followed by Lorenzo and Pedrosa on 94.

Rossi equalled Spaniard Angel Nieto's tally of 90 Grand Prix wins, putting them joint second in the all-time rankings, and moved four victories away from Italian Giacomo Agostini's record 68 wins in the showcase category.

Agostini won a record 122 races in all categories.

Nieto was on hand to take Rossi around the circuit on a post-race parade lap, with the Italian riding pillion and brandishing a flag proclaiming "90+90".