Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Criville said that riding arowld alone in tlurd, it was difficult to stay focused, . "It's difficult in those conditions because when you're not on the limit, it's hard to keep your concentration," he said. '1 could be leading the championslup if I had finished second, but sometimes, when you feel you cannot win, it's better not to risk losing everything," There were seven riders in tlle pack behind Criville and the order was con~tantly changing. At the head of the group was Barros, then Kocinski, and finally Checa. Checa wasn't able to match his qualifying time, but he was able to improve as the race wore on, something tlle otllers couldn't muster. "';'fter passing Kocinski, he was hounded to the end, with tlle American unable to make a move. , "At tlle beginning I managed to follow tlle leading pack, even if I lost some' ground behind Barros and Abe," Kocinski said. "When I finally passed them, the tank had lost most of tlle fuel and consequently it was lighter, so the front end started to rebound and it was difficult to keep the line. By the end of the race, the rear tire was used, too." ,I Abe got off to a good start near the tront of tlle pack and tllen found he was losing grip after tlle first handful of laps, "After tllat, I just had to ride tlle bike very easy because I couldn't flip it in," he said. "Witll big '5' corners here, tllat meant it was hard to do better than I Clid. I managed to hold on to tlle group and I fuought that I could pass Kocinski back toward the end, but tllen I made a couple of mistakes on tlle last two laps and just lost touch witll him." His mistakes weren't fatal enough to allow an attack from behind, though Crafar was close - less than a second away at the end, He was pleased to be able to stay on pace witll a faster group of riders and he continues to improve. "I know tlUs doesn't mean we're definitely going to keep on getting better straight away," he said. "We've still got work to do on tlle tires, me and the bike, but it's given me and the team fue boost that we needed," For all but one lap, Aoki held either seventh or eighth. Eighth was where he'd finish after discovering too late that he'd made the wrong tire choice, "We endurance-tested tlle tire in the morning and 'it seemed it should last a bit longer tllan it did," Aoki said. "Perhaps sometlung had changed - humidity or track temperature or sometlUng." Like many of the otllers who passed him, Barros wasn't happy with,his tire choice and it got worse at the end. "I really suffered during the last 10 laps:' he said. Well back came Regis Laconi, anofuer victim of a bad front tire choice, followed by Waldmann on the Modenas. (~ Circuito Internazionale del Mugello Mugello, Italy Results: May 17, 1998 (Round 4 of 15) 125« QUALIFYING, 1. Nobom Ueda (2,00.4]91 97.437 mph); 2. Kazuto Sakata (2:00.975); 3. Tomomi Manako (2:00.977); 4. Roberto Locatelli (2:01.303); 5. Gionluigi Scalvini (2:01.323); 6. Paolo Tessari (2;01.490); 7. Youichj Vi (2:01.570); 8. Marco Melandri (2:01.663); 9. Mirko Giansanti (2:02.03'1); 10. Masaki Tokudome (2:02.149); 11. Frederic Petit (2:02.22.1); 12. Lucio CecchineUo !2:02.250); 13. Masao Azurna (2:02.385); 14. Gino BOIsoi (2:02.554); 15. Ivan Goi (2:02.995); 16. Steve Jenkner (2,03,099); 17. J\.ngel Nie'o Jr. (2,03,254); ]8. Arnaud Vincent (2:03.294); 19. Claudio Cipriani (2:03.530); 20. Emilio Alzamora (2:03.541); 21. Jeronimo Vidal (2,03.869); 22. J.U"Oslav HuJes (2;03.965); 23, Marco Tresoldi· (2:03.991); 24. Juan Maturana (2:04.476); 25. Yoshiaki Katoh (2:04.476); 26. Christian Mannn (2:04.767); 27. Andrea fommi (2:06.097). 125cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Tomomi Manako (Han); 2. Marco Melandri (Han); 3. Gianluigi Scalvini (Han); 4. Kazuto Sakata (Apr); 5. Youichi Vi (Yam); 6. Gino Borsoi (Apr); 7. Noboru Veda (Hon); 8. Frederic Petit (Han); 9. Masno Azum..a (Hon); 10. Masaki Tokudome (Apr); 11. Arnaud Vincent (Apr); 12. Paolo 'tessnri (Apr); 13. Ivan Go,i (Apr); 14. ~teve Je.nkner (Apr); 15. Claudio Cipriani (Apr); 16. Jeronimo Vidal (Apr); 17. Emilio Alz.amora (Apr); 18. Juan Maturana (Yam); 19. Yoshiaki Katoh (Yam); 20. Marco Tresoldi (Han). Time: 40 min., 53.607 sec. . Distance: 20 laps, 65.18 miles. Average speed: 95.641 mph. Margin of victory: 0.044 sec. 12Sec WORLD C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of 15 races): 1. Tomomi Manako (81/1. win); 2. Kazuto Sakata (73/2); 3. Noboru Veda (45/1.); 4. Masao Azuina (43); 5, GianJuigi ScalvinJ (37); 6. Mu:ko Giansanti (36); 7. MaTco Melandri (32); 8. Masaki Tokudome (31); 9. Frederic Petit (27); 10. Youichi Vi (20); 11. (Tl'E) Lucio' Cecchinello/Gino Borsoi (17); 13. Angel Nieto Jr. (14); 14. Arnaud Vincent (13); 15. Jaroslav Hules (12); 16. (TIE) Nobuyuki Osa~i / Roberto Locatelli (11); 18. Hiroyuki Kikuchi (9); 19. (TlE) Takashi Akita/Steve Jenkner (7). 250cc QUALIFYING, 1. Tetsuya HOIada (1,54.683); 2. Loris C~pirossi (1:54.869); 3. Mauro Lucchi (1:55.053); 4. Valentino Rossi (1:55.133); 5. largen Fuchs (1:56.268); 6. Olivier Jacque (1:56.337); 7. Jeremy McWilliams (1:57.210); 8. Jose Luis Cardoso (1:57.239); 9. Roberto Rolfo (1,57.444); 10. Sebastian Porto (],s7.548); 11, Tohm Ukawa (1:57.575); 12. Ha.ruchika Aoki (1:57.656); 13. Stefano Perugini (1:57.663); 14. Noriyasu Numata (1:57.832); 15. Luca Boscoscuro (1:57.930); 16. Luis d'Antin (1:57.957); 17. Franco Battaini (1:58.025); 18. Takeshi Tsujimliia (1:58.131); 19. Osamu Miyazaki 'has tested a ~umber of bikes. this was the first time 'he was on ' the track with other'riders since 1992. "I had a lot of biue flags' waVed at me."' Mamola' said' of. the signal to move over. "I ,",ould have preferred, not to test with' oth!'!r people on the track. After the test. (was glad'i did," Even though Mamola 0eighs.about 25. pounds more thah Roberts Jr.. the engin!'!ers anc! tire techQicians found ,their cor,t)ments to be consistentiy similar. ,"1 think I gave them a different" perspective." said'Mamola, who would like 10 . test more in the fuiure. (Above) Kazuto Sakata (4) leads Marco Melandri (13), Tomomi Manako (3) and Noboru Ueda (2) in the 125cc Grand Prix. (Right) Valentino Rossi stripped down to beach attire on the cooloff lap. He joined Lucchiand Harada on the podium. (L58,]54); 20, }ohan Stigefel' (1,58. ]68); 21. Jason Vincent (1:58.407); 22. WUJiam Castes (1:59.114); 23. Davide Bulega (1:59.64.2); 24. Yasu Hatakeyama (1,59.968); 25, Fededca. Gartner (2,00.398). 2S0cc GRAND PRJX: 1. Mauro Lucehi (Apr); 2. Valentino Rossi (Apr); 3. Tetsuya Harada (Apr); 4. Loris Capirossi. (Apr); 5. Stefano Perugini (Hon); 6. Haruchika Aoki (Hon); 7. Tohru Ukawa (Han); 8. Jose Luis Cardoso (Yam); 9. Luis d' Anno (Yam); 10. Luca Boscoscuro (Hon); 11. Franco Battaini (Yam); 12. Takeshi Tsujimura (Yam); 13. Vasu Hntakeyama (Hon); 14. Davide Bulega (Hon); 15. Federico Gartner (Apr); 16. WiJliam Costes (Han). Time: 40 min., 59.049 sec. Distance: 21 laps, 68.44 miles. Average speed: 100.200 mph. Margin of victory: 5.701 sec. 2S0ec WORLD C'SHtP POINT STANDINGS (After 4 of ]5 races): 1. Loris Capirossi (58/1 win); 2. Tetsuya Harada (54/1); 3. Olivier Jacque (43); 4. Tohru Vkawa (42); 5, Valentino Rossi (40); 6. Hamchika Aoki (38); 7. (1:55.466); '14. Sete Gibernau (1:55.859); 15. Juan Borja (1,56.047); ]6, Kyoji Nanba (],56,1l0); 17, Sebastien Gimbert (1:56.210); 18. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (1:56.289); 19. RaJ( Waldmann (I :56.528); 20. Eskil Suter (1:57.237); 21. Matt Wait (1:57.486); 22. Scott Smart (1 :58.765); 23. Gianma,ria Liverani (1:59.347); 24. Fabio Carpani (2,00.100) 500ee GRAND PRJX: 1. Mick Doohan (Hon); 2. Max Biaggi (Ho~; 3. Alex Criville (Han); 4. Carlos Checa (Han); 5. John Kocinski (Han); 6. Norick Abe (Yam); 7. Simon Qafar (Yam); 8. Nobuatsu Aoki (Suz); 9. Alex Barros (Han); ] O. Regis Laconi (Yam); 11. RalJ ~Idmann (Mod); 12. Kyoji Nanba (Yam); 13. Gar:ry McCoy (Han); ]4. Sete Gibernau (Hon); 15. Sebastien Gimbert (Hon); 16. lutgen van den Goorbeg;~ (Han); 17. Yukio Kagayama (Suz); 18. Eskil Suter (MuZ); 19. Scott Smart (Hon); 20. Fabio Carpani (Hon). Time: 43 min., 55.307 sec. Distance: 23 laps, 74.96 miles. Average speed: 102.404 mph. Margin of victory: 5.395 sec. 500cc WORLD C'SHlP POINT STANDINGS (Afte, 4 Marcellino Lucchi (36/1); ~. Stefano Perugini (34); 9. Daijiro Katoh (25/1); 10. Jose Luis.cardoso (22); 11. Shinya Nakano (20); 12. Takeshi Tsujirnura (18); 13. Naoki Matsudo (16); 14. Jeremy McWilliams (15); 15. Luis d'Antin (14); 16. Noriyasu Numata (12); 17. Luca Boscoscuro (11); 18. Yukio Kagayama (10); 19. (TIE) Osamu Miyazaki/Franco Battaini (9). 5DOcc QUALIFYING: 1. Mick Doohan (1:53.282); 2. Alex Barros (1:53.754); 3. Max Biaggi (1:53.945); 4. Carlos of 15 races): 1. Max Biaggi (7711 win); 2. Mick Doohan (70/2); 3. Alex CriviUe (67/1); 4. Carlos Checa (54»)5. John Kocinski (30); 6. Tadayuki Okada (29); 7. Alex Kocinski (1,:54".145); 7. Norick Abe (1:54.255); 8. Upcoming Rounds: Round 5 - Le Casteilet. France, May 31 Round 6 - Jarama, Spain, June 14 Checa (1'53,95]); 5. Alex Crivifle (1,54,007); 6. John Nobua'su Aoki (1,54.534); 9. Garry McCoy (1,54.538); 10. Regis Laconi (1:54.579); 11. Simon Crafar (1:54.673); U. Yukio Kagayama (1:54.982); 13. Kenny Roberts Jr. in as well as five guns. according to Spanish journalists 'at the Italian Grand Prix. Repsol Ho.nda's Takuma Aoki has gone to China to trY to find. a . remedy for .the paralysis he suffered in a. preseason testing acci· dent. The treatment includes massage, though the results were . less than what was hoped for: Barros (27); 8. Nobuatsu Aoki (26); 9. Norick Abe (22); 10. Simon Crafar (19); 1]. Ralf Waldmann (18); 12. Kenny Roberts Jr. (17); 13. Noriyuki Haga (16); 14. Kyoji Nanba (15); 15. Se.te Gibernau (12); 16. (TIE) Yukio Kagayama/Garr:y McCoy (10); 18. Norihiko Fujiwara (9); 19. (TIE)Jurgen van den Goorbergh I Regis Laconi (8). tht:' power's all righi, I can't get the setup," Compounding the setup, problems are a.number of factors, one of which is not havihg "telemetry on the bike and no hope'of getting ii, in the future'. Wait also said that he has only one good bike, his second bec,omlng mostiy a parts 'bike because it doesn'.t have the stiffedro.nt forks, "1'm'Rre"tly hard on the' front and the standard cines don't hold up tothe limit they need to be pushed .. Tl:iai limits me right 'there. I just go out and, make laps on the spare bike. I can't push it t06 hard," The forks are Showa

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