PICTURES: Stoner crashes out at Indy

Casey Stoner's five-race run of podium finishes came to an end after this front-end fall in Sunday's Indianapolis MotoGP (more pics below).

The Australian lost control of his Ducati on lap 8, while looking for a way past Valentino Rossi. The accident was Stoner's third of the season.

"I am very disappointed. It was a nothing crash, but obviously it was enough to leave me out of the race," said Stoner.

"I know a lot of people have had front-end crashes, but apparently here at Indianapolis we have gone back to the situation we were in at the start of the season and we've struggled to find front-end feel in the corners.

"It is a real shame because we had good pace, and I think we could have been on the podium."

Stoner had just set his fastest race lap, which proved the third fastest of the race.

"Casey crashed just at the point when the tyre he had chosen was coming up to its optimum level and he was recovering well but lost the front," said team manager Vittoriano Guareschi. "It is a shame because after five podiums in a row he could have had another one here."