Rizla Suzuki's Chris Vermeulen (Photo: Suzuki Racing) » More Photos

De Angelis made a mid-race charge and he finished just 0.1s behind Vermeulen after a tense battle over the final three laps.

After being second early Dovizioso faded to finish fifth, four seconds ahead of Guintoli.

Front row qualifier Colin Edwards (Tech3 Yamaha) had a brief early battle with Rossi for third before crashing out of fifth place on lap 21 as he battled fading grip levels.

"I'd tried to follow Casey and Valentino but I just didn't have anything for them," Edwards said. "Fifth was going to be the best result I could have managed today and that's a bit disappointing because in the dry I think I could have been fighting for a podium. I've got my home race coming up at Laguna and I desperately want to put on a good performance for the fans there."

And there was little joy for Honda's Nicky Hayden who made a pit stop to change to a more suitable rear tire compound and battled electronic problems to finish 13th, two laps down.

Kawasaki's Anthony West, racing with a cracked vertebra and riddled with pain, recovered from a crash to finish tenth after making a superb early charge from 17th on the grid to seventh before his crash.

The next is the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca on July 20.