Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 3: Spanish Grand Prix WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD RACE SERIES son in the 250cc class, easily outdistancing Shell Advance Honda Team's Tohru Ukawa after passing him just past the halfway mark, and then adding humor to the cool-down lap when he stopped at a trackside port-a-john to relieve himself. The FlM didn't see the humor in it and the race direction decided to inflict a "warning" on Rossi, whose behavior during previous laps of honor have also drawn the ire of the ruling bodies. "In the middle of the race I have a little problem," the Italian said. "It isn't possible after the podium and after the press conference." Ukawa kept it close for a number of laps, but the pace that Rossi set in the last quarter of the race proved too much for the Japanese rider, and Rossi became the third different winner in the three races this sea on. (Above) Kenny Roberts Jr. (10) had an awful day. The Californian was knocked off the track by his teammate and then fought back, only to finish an eventual 13th with mechanical problems. (Left) It was a great day for . Spain as Crivllle won his home Grand Prix· and Glbemau was third. 10 ! I III ... I. ;: Q • §! ~ - 1;' 2i 14 Ukawa finished 4.439 seconds back, with EIfAxo Honda Gresini's Loris Capirossi, the reigning 250cc World Champion, a very distant third. The race for most of the rest of the top 10 was strictly processional at the end, with only the riders contesting spots eight through 10 racing to the end. Ukawa, who has finished second in all three races this season, took over the championship points lead with 60 three better than Capirossi and 15 ahead of Rossi. Playlife Racing Team-Liegeois's Masao Azuma kept his perfect 125cc season intact by taking advantage of a mental error by Spaniard Emilio Aizamora on the final lap. Alzamora took the lead with an inside move in the final hairpin leading onto the front straight. As he made his way up the front straight, the Via Digital team Spaniard began desperately weaving, allowing the straight-line Azuma to speed ahead, bringing second-place fino' isher Lucio Cecchinello of the Givi Honda LCR team with him. At the flag, it was the Japanese rider Azuma by .099 of a second over the Italian Cecchinello, with Alzamora relegated to third. Having completed a clean sweep of the first three races, Azuma leads the championship with 75 points, 23 more than Alzamora. 250cc GRAND PRIX Reigning World Champion Loris Capirossi got the jump on the 29-rider field, but it didn't last long. Valentino Rossi came by on lap two and held the spot for most of the rest of the race. For laps three through eight, Chesterfield Yamaha Tech 3's Shinya Nakano kept the heat on, with Ukawa a constant presence as the top three edged away from Capirossi. Nakano's day ended on t\:le ninth lap with a mechanical problem. "I started on pole, set the fastest lap, felt good all weekend, and I knew I could win today, but it was not to be," Nakano said. His departure left Rossi in front with almost a second on Ukawa, a gap that closed up almost immediately, with Uka wa crossing the line first on la p 14 before dropping back to second. The pair were now clearing out from Capirossi, who was running into tire problems, but he would have enough to run by himself to a secure third. "I have a good start but too many problem with the rear tire," the Italian said. "I don't know why I have this problem, but it's very difficult to follow Valentino and Tohru. I prefer to finish this way because it's too dangerous for me to try to push hard, and this third position's okay for me because the championship is so long and it's better to finish the whole race and this podium is perfect." Ukawa was able to hang with Rossi until there were about 10 laps to go. Rossi eked out over a second, and then more, and by lap 19 of 26 he was free and clear and on his way to his first win of the year. "Today my bike is perfect and 1 make a- good, start - not a good one, but not so bad," he said. "I stick with (Shinya) Nakano and Loris and Tohru, and Loris had a little problem in the fast corner, but he's very fast in the hairpin. Also Nakano is very fast, but 1 got in front and 1 make my lead, 45.4 and 45.2, and it's possible for me to stay in this range all this race. But Nakano and Ukawa stay with me. In the middle of the race I see Nakano out,l don't know why. Tohru make mistake at the exit of a comer and 1 overtake him and I push very hard and it's possible for me to win." Rossi said that by racing with the Yamaha and the Honda, he was able to assess their strengths and weaknesses. "Today, for the first time I see Honda and Yamaha," Rossi said. "The Yamaha have fantastic frame, but engine is not so fast. A little bit more slow than me, than Aprilia. Honda is very fast in acceleration, a little bit more than Aprilia, but Aprilia has more top speed. I have a little problem with the frame, but also Honda have because under brake, my bike is not perfect. Honda is perfect on the brake, but in the fast corner my bike is more fast than Honda." Ukawa said that from the middle of the race, his front tire was off, a product of his pushing hard a t the beginning. Once he lost confidence in the front, there was no way he could chase Rossi down. Fourth went to Franco Battaini, who was by himself for much of the time, and struggling with an engine which had lost power. Watching the leaders get away, the Italian was helpless with a machine that was a second slower than it had been in qualifying. Fifth was an equally lonely ride for Docshop· Racing's Marcellino Lucchi, but the race for sixth was a good one, Aprilia Germany's Ralf Waldmann overcoming a horrendous sta rt to beat QUB Team Optimum's Jeremy McWilliams for the spot. Waldmann completed the first lap in 21st place, quickly moving forward until he was sixth, his finishing spot on the 15th lap. McWilliams slotted in behind him a lap later and chased him for a while before Waldmann put it out of reach. It was Waldmann's first race back since breaking his wrist during practice for the season opener in Malaysia. "The wrist wasn't too bad today," Waldmann said, "but I got a really bad start because I've not started a race on the Aprilia before. After that, it was exciting because I had to pass so many guys. Then I ran wide and lost a few places and had to fight back again." After McWilliams came Fila Watches Honda's Stefano Perugini, at the front of a four-rider rush in which the participants finished within just over a second of each other. Perugini took back eighth on the final lap, with Vasco Rossi Racing's Roberto Rolfo, PoIini's Luca Boscoscuro, and Padgetts HRC Shop's Jason Vincent streaming by"in quick order. SOOCc GRAND PRIX Criville had to be the favorite going in, simply because he'd won here the past two years and nearly the last three. In 1996 he followed Doohan into the last corner, only to high-side on the exit, throwing away a secure second place. . Doohan wasn't here this year - a disappointment to the riders, but also a relief. The field was wide open, with a number of riders capable of taking the victory. Kanemoto Honda's John Kocinski wanted to be one of them; at least that's what you'd have to)nfer from his lioleshot. He was away in a flash, up from the second row and first into turn one. But it wouldn't last. Kocinski had chosen a soft front tire, and before long it became a problem and he slowly dropped back. Criville was happy to take over the top spot, which he did in a tight left on lap three. From that point on, Criville led every lap, first over Frenchman Regis Laconi and then over -Biaggi. This was a two-rider race, with Biaggi probing but finding no weaknesses. He wasn't deterred, keeping the pressure on to the final lap but never finding

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