Hector Barbera of Spain beat Italian Andrea Dovizioso to win his maiden 250cc victory at the China Grand Prix motorcycling in Shanghai on Sunday.

The pair raced ahead of the rest of the field with the Aprilia rider clinching the lead as they approached the home straight.

Japan's Shuhei Aoyama, who won the last race in Turkey, swept past Spain's Jorge Lorenzo in the closing stages to finish third for Honda.

Aprilia's Lorenzo, winner of the first two races of the season, was awarded fourth place after a photo-finish. He still dropped to third in the championship behind Barbera and Honda rider Dovizioso, who has a three-point cushion over his old rival.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2006)