Rossi, Stoner renew rivalry in Qatar's heart of darkness

PARIS: Eight-time world champion Valentino Rossi and 2007 winner Casey Stoner resume their bruising rivalry on Sunday as the 2009 world MotoGP series resumes under Qatar's desert floodlights.

They took the top two placings in last season's series with Rossi, on his Yamaha, finishing 93 points ahead of the Australian with nine race wins which took him past Giacomo Agostini's record 69 career victories.

Ducati's Stoner, six years the Italian's junior, won six of the remaining nine events and having recovered from wrist surgery, the 23-year-old has dominated winter testing. He also has the advantage of having won the last two races in Qatar.