Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127739
.,. .ROAD RACE· '. ::. Round 9: British Grand Prix . World Championship Road ~~ Series -I • tt (J(J 4" French production Honda rider Olivier Jacque (Elf-Tech 3 Honda) was a career-best fourth, defeating works NSR-mounted teammate Jean-Philippe Ruggia. And sixth went to a revitalized Niall Mackenzie on the Docshop Aprilia, narrowly defeating an on-form Jurgen van den Goorbergh. Both privateers had overtaken works-man Tadayuki Okada and the HRC Honda in the closing stages. Defending 125cc World Champion Kazuto Sakata (Krona Aprilia) took his first win of the season, finally asserting his authority over Nastro Azurro Aprilia rider Stefano Perugini in the closing laps. Spaniard Emilio Alzamora (ScotHonda) was third, outdista~cing Dirk Raudies (HB Honda). Hideyuki Nakajoh O:HA Honda) was a lonely fifth; then Masaki Tokudome (Ditter Plastic Aprilia) led a huge gang over the line after a fearsome race. Dutchman Jeffrey de Vries (Motosport Yamaha) won the Thunderbike Trophy race from Fred Bayens (DC Honda); with Udo Mark (Rubatto-Lortz Kawasaki) third, moving into the championship lead. Earlier the dominant Yves Briguet (Honda) had changed the course of the race, diving inside leader By Michael SCott Photos by Gold & Goose OONlNGTON, ENGLAND, JUtY23 week aft& a controversial interview quoted Michael Doohan as saying 'racing was boring for him now that Kevin Schwantz had gone, the defending World Champion shared the feeling with 28,000 British racing fans, when he swept to Victory at Donington Park virtually unopposed. It was the Repsol Honda rider's 25th career win, putting him equal with Schwantz, and his sixth of the season, adding another five points to his growing title lead. It also broke the Donington jinx that meant he had never has won at this, his second-least-favorite track. But while important, it was hardly electrifyingly exciting, with the thrills'in a good day's racing left for the other classes, at a meeting where defending champions won in every class. "I'd expected from the practice times that it would be close," said Doohan later. "But after I got into the lead, I did a couple of fast laps and there was nobody behind me. It's good to win at Donington. I thought a Suzuki would win here, so I'm happy for that reason." Doohan did have a little help, after a crash in morning warmup took out one of the few people who might have opposed him. The victim was Lucky Strike Suzuki's ex-Superbike champion Scott Russell, who was on the front row . of the grid in only his fourth GP, and who had just set fastest time in racemorning warmup when he was sent flying by Paton's Jean-Pierre Jeandat (Paton), who did a premature plug chop, then turned accross Russell as he came past with a huge speed differential. Jeandat broke his arm; Russell suf- A (Above) Luca Cadalo;' (2) leads Daryl Beattie (4), Alex Cmllle (6), Alex Barros (9) and Michael Doohan (1) on the opening Iep of the 500cc Grand Prix. (Right) Doohan leads Beattie en route to victory. fered concussion and minor injuries enough to put him out of the race. This left second Lucky Strike Suzuki rider Daryl Beattie to defend the faith; but though he led the early laps, he could do nothing when Doohan overcame a poor start and caught him at one-third distance. The British GP, run in warm, dry conditions, saw Alex Criville's Repsol Honda claim third, after a race-long battle with Alex Barros's Kanemoto Honda. Set for his best finish of the year, Barros instead ran out of gas on the final lap. Marlboro Pileri Honda's Loris Capirossi was fourth; Luca Cadalora and the Marlboro Yamaha fifth; and Doohan's teammate Shinichi Itoh sixth. Then came top privateer Neil Hodgson in seventh, salvaging hopes of a strong British finish. These had earlier been dashed when James Haydon and Hodgson were well up in the top 10 when an overtaking move went all wrong. Haydon and Marlboro Yamaha rider Norifumi Abe both crashed with works-bike debutante Carlos Checa; while Hodgson was substantially delayed. American privateer Scott Gray did not finish. Earlier, Max Biaggi had overcome practice injuries to take another clear win in the 250cc Grand Prix. The Chesterfield Aprilia rider was able to take it easy in the closing laps, so that a lead that had been much bigger shrank to less than three seconds at the finish . Tetsuya Harada seized second place from Ralf Waldmann in the last hairpin bend, after a race-long pursuit. The Japanese rider's Marlboro Yamaha was short on power but long on handling, and it was vital that he wait until the last minute before pounding on the HB Honda rider. Spike Edwards at the final hairpin and immediately falling off. He took Edwards out, and also Stephane Mertens, but rejoined himself to finish 13th after another excursion into the grass. The day before, Rolf Biland had won the sidecar race, his second in succession. 500cc GRAND PRIX Russell's accident took much of the expectation out of what had promised to be an interesting race. But there was another Donington-loving Suzuki left, and when Beattie dived inside faststarter Cadalora into the chicane first time through, it looked as though the game might be on. The more so because Criville moved into second at the next corner, with . Doohan still fifth, and there was a strong chance that the Spaniard would