LE MANS, France (Reuters) -- Italian Marco Melandri, riding a Honda, clinched his second victory at the French Grand Prix on Sunday.

The 250cc category 2002 champion benefited from Valentino Rossi's woes after the Italien Yamaha rider, who led most of the race, was forced to retire with mechanical problems eight laps from the finish.

Italian Loris Capirossi, riding a Ducati, overtook Spanish debutant Dani Pedrosa on a Honda on the last lap to finish second.

Melandri and Capirossi, both on 79 points from five races, put pressure on American leader Nicky Hayden.

The Honda rider, who was fifth behind Australian Casey Stoner, had his lead over the two Italians reduced to four points.

Pedrosa, who has won his first GP last weekend in China, is fourth in the standings with 73 points.

Rossi, who has finished only two races since the beginning of the season, dropped to eighth overall on 40 points.

The five-times champion, a winner at the French GP last season, overtook early leader John Hopkins on the fifth lap before easily holding off Pedrosa's challenge.

"Il Dottore", who was using a new chassis after retiring in China, was starting his seventh consecutive race off the front row.

But a mechanical problem forced him to retire for the second successive race. Luthi back

There was also disappointment in the Kawasaki team with local favorite Randy De Puniet retiring after a crash on the first curve.

Japanase teammate Shinya Nakano, who had qualified second, was given a ride-through penalty for a jumpstart and finished 12th.

Earlier on Sunday, Japanese Yuki Takahashi, riding a Honda, powered to the first victory of his career in the 250cc race. The 21-year-old overtook overall standings leader Andrea Dovizioso on the last curve to beat the Italian by 0.098 of a second.

Shuhei Aoyama steered his Honda to third place. Dovizioso, however, extended his lead in the standings.

He now has 92 points from five races and leads Spaniard Hector Barbera, who finished a disappointing seventh, by 14 points.

Dovizioso has yet to win a race this season.

In the 125cc race, Switzerland's Thomas Luthi won his first race of the season, capitalizing on Alvaro Bautista's mechanical problems on the last lap.

"Of course, I feel lucky to have won," Luthi, who had a disappointing start to the season with only 12 points from four races, told reporters. "But in a way, this victory is a reward for all the hard work I have done since the beginning of the season."

KTM rider Mika Kallio of Finland finished second, reducing the gap with championship leader Bautista in the overall standings, while Lai finished third on his Aprilia, depriving the unlucky Bautista of even a podium finish.

The 21-year-old Bautista now has 99 points from five races, 21 ahead of Kallio.