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/127800
ROAD' RACE . WoridChampionshipROlid Race Series . Round 12: Grand Prix of the C·Ity 0f ImoIa (Above) The City of Imola Grand Prix gets under way with World Champion Michael Doohan (1) leading Tadayuki Okada (6), Alex Barros (7), Alex Crlvllle (4), Norlfuml Abe (9), Jean-Michel Bayle (12), Adrlen Bosshard (14) and Scott· Russell (11) through thl! first two corners. (Lett) Doohan holds off Crlville and Okada en route to winning the'SOOth SOOcc Grand Prix. By Michael Scott Photos by Gold & Goose 18 !MOLA, ITALY, SEPT. 1 omething bigger than both Mick Ooohan and Alex Criville took control at the Grand Prix of !mala. The dueling teammates were about to begin the final phase of yet another whisker-close battle, with spectators agog to see how this one would tum out. Then the heavens opened in a spectacular cloudburst, the red flags came out, and Ooohan was declared the winner of an abbreviated GP of the City of !mala. It was entirely appropriate for a rider of Ooohan's stature to win the race - it was the SOOth 500cc Grand Prix, and the previous century races all have been won by great champions: Mike Hallwood the 100th, Giacomo Agostini the 200th, Barry Sheene the 300th and Eddie Lawson the 400th. But it was not the clear victory Ooohan would have preferred. Although the younger Repsol-Honda rider was riding hurt after crashing in practice, Criville was again following the defending world champion like a shadow. At the last two races, similar tactics had 'ended in a last-lap win for the younger man. . It was by no means certain that Criville could have attacked again: Ooohan was holding something in reserve for the last five laps. But it would have been interesting to see, and would have made his historic win - for which he received a special trophy from the FIM - tha't much more lustrous. Ooohan was in high spirits nonetheless. "I tried to make a break early in the race, but Alex kept coming back atme:' he said. "I was waiting for the last five laps to really have a go. That probably means Alex would have beaten me again. Criville was not so sure: "I could see the rain was coming and 1 had a hunch the race may be stopped, so 1 tried really hard to get past. 1 failed on what .turned out to be the last lap of the race, so I'm not sure that 1 could 1I • have done it again if it had run full distance." Tadayuki Okada was third, the second time the V-twin lightweight Repsol Honda has finished on the rostrum, just over two seconds adrift after hanging impressively with the leaders for the ' early laps. Marlboro Yamaha's JeanMichel Bayle was fourth, his best-ever finish in a road race after' qualifying again on the front row of the grid. Bayle was lucky enough to have broken through the Alex Barros barrier earlier, for the Brazilian Pileri Honda rider had once again played a significant role, although he ended up down in eighth. After another fast start, he was a one- ' man traffic jam for the pursuers, helping' the Repsol Honda trio find some clear air, and leaving at least two riders spitting mad with frustration at his ability to brake late into the corners then jet out of them again with his Honda power, while slowing everybody else up mid-corner. One was Norifumi Abe, who was fifth, and had spent 11 laps with his slower-accelerating Marlboro Yamaha"! stuck behind the Honda; another was