( CNN ) -- Australian motorcyclist Casey Stoner claimed his second victory this season while chaos reigned on the track behind him at the French Grand Prix on Sunday . The 2007 world champion moved up to second place in the overall standings above Dani Pedrosa , who was taken to hospital with a broken collarbone after a collision with Marco Simoncelli . The Spaniard had won the third race this season last time out in Portugal after recovering from shoulder surgery , but his championship hopes suffered a blow after 17 of the 28 laps at Le Mans . Pedrosa was passed by Simoncelli but clipped the bike of his fellow Honda rider when he tried to retake second place . Stoner sets MotoGP pace at Le Mans . The Italian was later handed a drive-through penalty for an illegal move , relegating him to fifth place and denying the 24-year-old his first podium position . `` I leave here with a broken collarbone and he with a ride-through penalty , good for him ! Yet again I come out worse off , '' Pedrosa told the MotoGP website . `` We only just recovered from the nightmare of the last operation and now I 'm hurt again . It is very unfair , I do n't deserve it . `` I was having a good race , the goal was to ensure another podium and I had it in my grasp . Now it counts for nothing . Simoncelli overtook me , I passed him back and I had the better line . He just came into me , releasing the brakes , and I could do nothing. `` That incident left seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi as Stoner 's closest chaser , but he was beaten to second place by fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso . It was still Rossi 's best finish since leaving Yamaha for Ducati , but he trails former teammate Jorge Lorenzo by 31 points . World champion Lorenzo finished fifth to be 12 points clear of Stoner and 18 ahead of Pedrosa as he became the youngest rider to start in 150 grands prix in all classes . The 24-year-old Spaniard had a bad start to the day when he crashed in practice , injuring his finger and wrecking his bike . The race featured several casualties as home hope Randy de Puniet , Loris Capirossi and Cal Crutchlow crashed out -- as did the latter 's Yamaha teammate Colin Edwards , but the veteran American returned to the track to finish 13th . Stoner , in his first season with Repsol Honda , triumphed by more than 14 seconds as he continued the dominance he showed in practice and qualifying to win for the first time at Le Mans . The 25-year-old won the opening race of the season in Qatar , but failed to finish in Jerez as Lorenzo triumphed on home soil , and was third in Portugal as Pedrosa led a Spanish 1-2 .
Casey Stoner avoids mayhem behind him to run away with French MotoGP race . Australian finishes 28-lap event 14 seconds clear of Italy 's Andrea Dovizioso . Title rival Dani Pedrosa breaks collarbone after crash involving Marco Simoncelli . - The first round of the 2012 European motorcycle Grand Prix takes place in Spain. Valentino Rossi earns first podium finish since joining Ducati .