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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127735
RQ\D RACE"ยทยท. .:." Round 7: Dutch Grand Prix :WorId~IpRoid.'-~., handing fourth back to a beaten Jean" Philippe Ruggia and his Tech 3 Honda. Fifth went to Marlboro Rainey Yamaha's Kenny Roberts Jr. as his race-long companion Carles Checa also fell from his Fortuna Honda; and sixth to Jurgen van den Goorbergh's Maxell Honda, after he remounted. HB Honda's Dirk Raudies took the opportunity of a runaway 125cc GP win, his first of the season, after Givi Honda's Noboru Veda and early leader Emilio Alzamora made a little gap in a tight 12-bike group by colliding and crashing. Marlboro Aprilia's Peter Oettlled the remaining octet across the line after a classic close 125 race, with Akira Saito third and defending champion Kazuto Sakata fourth. Kawasaki-mounted Udo Mark won an excellent Thunderbike Trophy race, snatching the lead back from local hero Jeffry de Vries (Yamaha) after having By Michael Scott Photos by Gold & Goose ASSEN, HOLLAND, JUNE 24 Dutch Grand Prix traditionally marks the mid-point of the GP season. Often as not, it also . , marks the turning point. Lr) 0\ ~ 6 Michael Doohan's race win on the Repsol Honda meant far more than being merely his fourth of the season, and the 23rd of his career. With Lucky Strike Suzuki's title leader Daryl Beattie out of the race after breaking his collarbone in practice, it also handed the points lead back to the defending champion. Doohan beat HRC teammate Alex Criville and longtime race leader Alberto Puig on the Fortuna Pons Honda only narro.wly, but quite convincingly. He'd played a waiting game all race before asserting his authority in the closing laps of the fast and beautiful northern Dutch circuit, where more than 120,000 fans made the pilgrimage for the 70th anniversary of the oldest race on the calendar. "I thought I'd let someone else do the work for a change," Doohan said later. And, he might have added, take the risks. The closest he came to repeating his off-track excursions of the last four races was when Criville almost rammed him from behind in a desperate last lap. With Beattie absent and new Lucky Strike Suzuki teammate Scott Russell dropping to 12th with brake problems after a.promising start, Hondas made an almost clean sweep. Loris Capirossi was fourth, and Alex Barros fifth; with only the injured Shinichi Itoh letting the side down in eighth. The best Yamaha was again rookie Norifumi Abe, taking a spirited sixth in his first visit to Assen. Troubled Team Marlboro Roberts colleague Luca Cadalora was seventh, after a slightly better ride than his Italian debacle. The 250cc race was a walkover for defending champion Max Biaggi, whose . black Chesterfield Aprilia utterly 'dominated practice and the race. He too had an added boost as he reclaimed his championship lead. Rival Tetsuya Harada was also out of the race, after escaping with miraculously minor injuries from a heavy crash on his Marlboro Rainey Yamaha in practice. Assen had an extra twist to add. As the three who had fought over second place all race long arrived at the final chicane for the last time, an isolated shower had beaten them to it. Jean-Michel Bayle crashed, but close companions Ralf Waldmann and Tadayuki Okada, both on Hondas, survived to finish in that order. The next trio had it even worse. The van den Goorbergh brothers, in line for a joint best-ever finish, both also fell, (Above) Alberto Pulg (5) got the lump on the pack In the SOOcc Dutch Grand Prix lit AsAn; Alex erlville (6), Norlfumi Abe (17), Michael Doohan (1) and SCott Russell (45) give chase. (Right) Michael Doohan rode a calculated race to narrowly bellt Alex erlvllle and Alberto Pulg; Doohan also took over the championship points lead with Daryl Belittle suffering a broken collarbone during practice. (Below) Max Blaggl was In a class by himself lit Assen; the italian qualified on pole lUld easily won the 250cc Grand Prix. lost it yards before into the chicane. Honda-mounted Yves Briguet and Stephan Mertens were almost alongside. Fred Bayens led the early stages, and finished fifth. Darren Dixon/Andy Hetherington won the sidecar race, with fellow brits Steve Abbott/Julian Tailford second and countrymen Derek Brindley/Paul Hutchinson third. . Klaus Klaffenboek was fourth, the top finisher with a BRM engine. Early leaders the Guedel brothers had suffered a BRM engine failure; so had Rolf Biland, before he could make an impression on the race. 500cc GRAND PRIX Even though there was never much doubt about the outcome, this was the "best 'race of the year, thanks to Doohan's tactics. After a few too many off-track excursions this year while trying to lead at all costs, and at a track he blatantly