Motorcycling-Stoner completes Qatar hat-trick

DOHA, April 13 (Reuters) - Australian Casey Stoner ran away with the delayed MotoGP season-opener from pole position on Monday to complete a hat-trick of wins at Qatar's Losail International Circuit.

Racing in warm dry conditions after Sunday's start was postponed due to heavy rainfall at the desert track, the 23-year-old Ducati rider beat world champion Valentino Rossi into second place. Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo was third.

"I now feel I'm stronger than at the end of last year," said Stoner, the 2007 champion who is still recovering from wrist surgery last November.

"It is now time to keep it up, go for the next race and see what we can do. This is the best way to start the championship." Stoner, overall runner-up last season, had not completed any race distances since undergoing the scaphoid surgery but he said the wrist was getting better and he did not expect any problems at the next race in Japan.

Yamaha's Rossi, who had qualified second, tussled at the start with team mate Lorenzo and Italian Loris Capirossi, who later crashed out of the race on the seventh lap.

"Unfortunately I lost a bit of time after the start to fight with Loris (Capirossi) and Jorge (Lorenzo)," Rossi said.

"I had to decide if I ride second or crash and I decided to slow down a bit. The second place is a good result for us and the start of the season is better than last year."

The 30-year-old Italian has won twice in Qatar but never at night.