Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

the opening he needed to displace the Spaniard. When the flag fell, it was Criville by .157 of a second. "This was a slow race for everybody," the Spaniard said. "It was a long, hard race for me. I kept on looking at my board, but I just couldn't get down below the 1:45s. The faster I tried to go, the slower I ended up being. So there was nothing I could do to get clear of Max (Biaggi). Also, from the third lap on, the front tire lost a lot of grip. I didn't know what Max was doing behind me, so I just kept on going and just made sure [ didn't open up any passing opportunities for him on the last lap." Biaggi said it took him a little while to get going. He'd come together with Kenny Roberts in the second comer on the first lap - "I have the tire marks on my leathers to prove it," he said - and finished lap one in fifth. By the fourth lap he was on Criville, where he'd be for the duration. W11at he soon noticed was that his Yamaha wasn't able to jump off the comers the way the Honda could, which meant he'd have to find a way to pass on the brakes. By then his tires were gone. "It was very difficult, because at this place it's very hard to overtake," Biaggi said, "and then I finally got to Alex. I was quite okay to be there, quite comfortable. W11en the tire dropped down, it was hard to attack a little bit on acceleration out of the hairpin." Criville anticipated the last-minute measure. "For sure, I know that in last lap one line last corner it's p'ossible to pass, but 1 closed the door, SO that was a tactic," he said. The race for third was intense: three riders on three different machines, with different strengths and different riding styles. The layout of Jerez favored the Jlimble Repsol Honda NSR500V ~f Gibernau. He could put it where he wanted it and wasn't often punished by the straights, none of which are very long. Gibernau had hooked up with Norick Abe and Tady Okada early in the race, and the trio dropped early third-place runner Laconi behind them completely on lap 16 of 27. At that point, it was Okada and the V-four Banda in front, with Abe taking over after half a dozen laps; then Okada took it back with a move under his fellow Japanese in the hairpin. All three made contact with eam other at one time or another. Gibernau was in the mix, but not at tl1e front - not until the final lap. Starting the last la p behind Abe, Gibernau made his move in the fast double rights bel1ind the pits, and then held off Abe's charge in the hairpin to take his first podium of the year. "I was trying to stay behind and I was trying to get different places to pass the guys in front of me," Gibemau said. "If it was Abe or Okada and I had a couple of places that I knew I could pass them, the two last corners to the lefthander I was faster than them. So if I could get by whoever was in front of me for the last lap, I knew I could finish third. So I did my move and we toumed a little bit a couple times, maybe with Norick, and I feel sorry for that, but that's racing, I guess. I hope he understands." Okada took fourth from Abe after Abe and Gibernau touched, balking him momentarily. "Sete was really good on the brakes," Okada began. "His bike was a lot more stable than mine, but then that's the strong point of the twin. Still, I managed to pass Abe on the last lap, so that's good." Abe said that when he and Gibernau toumed, it cost them both momentun1, but he got the worst of it. "He recovered better and Okada took advantage," Abe said. "Fifth is not so bad, but it could have been better." Sixth went to Kocinski, who used up his tires with his early burst of speed and then waited until the end to get his second wind. "After the first lap, the second lap, the rear-tire grip went away drastically," Kocinski said. "In the middle and the end of the race, it seemed like the grip was better, whim is strange." Kocinski said that he still hadn't sorted out the handling on the Honda four. "We've definitely got to work on the problem of running wide everywhere," Kocinski said. A little more than six seconds back came Laconi, who lamented the fact that his early pace punished his tires. Cadalora gave the MZ its best finish by taking eighth. W11at the bike needs is more acceleration, he realized, and today the bike was jetted mum too richly, he said. MoviStar Honda Pons' Juan Borja took ninth from Marlboro Yamaha Team's Carlos Checa four laps from the end. Checa mased him to tl1e line, corning up .018 of a second short. "We manged tl1e setup for the morning warmup, and that's more or less what we raced with, though it wasn't a huge improvement," Checa said. "Obviously I'm not happy with today's result, but we must keep our heads down and try and improve things when we test at Valencia this week." The second MZ of lurgen van der Goorburgh was 11th, followed by the FCC TSR Honda of Haruchika Aoki. Then came Roberts. "I got an okay start, but then I got squeezed out and had to roll off the power by all those guys who can't raCe but like to be up front for the first couple of laps," he said. ~Tm not naming names, but it isn't Alex Criville and it isn't Max Biaggi. We were in for the long haul, but then I got shunted into the hairpin on the second lap by Nobu (Aoki) and went across the gravel. That's when I picked up some stones." Roberts said his lap times were consistent, even though he was passing riders everywhere. He was in a good position to score points - eighth place - when a spark plug broke. '"'' (Above) Valentino Rossi leads Shinya Nakano and Tohru Ukawa in their 250cc Grand Prix battle - a race that was won by Rossi. (Right) The ever-popular Rossi celebrates with the Spanish fans after winning his first GP of the season. "The cl1ampionship starts now for CIII me," he said. Circuito de Jerez Jerez, Spain Results: May 9, 1999 (Round 3 of 16) SOOcc QUALIFYING: 1. Alex Criville 0:43.674/95.438 mph); 2. Nobuatsu Aoki (1:43.948); 3. Kenny Roberts]r. (1:43.980); 4. Max Biagg; 0:44.056); 5. Regis Laconi 0:44.069); 6. Alex Burros 0:44.199); 7. Sete Cibcrnau 0:44.217); 8. John Kocinski 0:44.304); 9. Regis Laconi (Yam); 8. Luea Cadalora (MZ); 9. Juan Borja (Hon); 10. Carlos Checa (Hon); IL Jurgen van der Coorburgh (MZ); 12. Hanlchik., Aoki (Hon); 13. Kenny Roberts Jr. (Suz); 14. Simon Crnfar (Yam); 15. Mark.us Ober (Hon); 16. Mike Hale (Mod); 17. Michael Rutter (Han); 18. Mark Willis (Hon); 19. (TIE) jean-Michel B.yle/Simon Crafar (4). Time: 47 min., 38.667 sec. Distance: 27 laps, 74.21 miles Average speed: 93.452 mph Margin of victory: 0.157 sec. Faslest' lap: Alex Cnville, 1:44.657/94.451 mph,l.<:lp 5 500c< WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT Norick Abe (1:44.401); 10. Juan Borja 0:44.628); 11. Tetsuya Haradn (1:44.701); 12. Carlos Chcca (1:44.731); 13. jose Luis Cardoso (1:44.871); 14. Tady Okada (1:44.924); 15. Luca Cadalora (1:45.050); 16. Jurgen van der Goorburgh (J :45.526); 17. Haruchika Aoki (J :45.567); 18. Sebastien Gimbert 0:45.908); 19. Mick Doohan (1:46.217); 20. Simon Crafar (1:46.510); 21. Markus Ober (J:46.578); 22. Jamie Whithilm (J:46.730); 23. Mich.e! Rutter 0:46.766); 24. Mike Hale 0:47.636); 25. Mark. STANDINGS (After 3 of 16 rounds): 1. Alex CriviUe (54/1 win); 2. Kenny Roberts Jr. (53/2): 3. Carlo, Checa (36); 4. (TIE) Mick Dooh.n/Sete Glbemau (33); 6. (TIEl Mox Biaggi/Norick Abe (27); 8. Tady Okad. (25); 9. Juan Borja (20); 10. (TIE) Alex Bnrros/RL>gis L.:1coni (18); 12. Nobu.',u Aoki (13); 13. John KociJ.ski (10); ]4. (TIE) Shirtichi ltoh/Yukio Kagayama (9); 16. Luca Cadalora (8); 17. (TIE) Jurgen van der Goorburgh/Haruchika WiUis (1:49.954). SOOcc GRAND PRIX: 1. Alex Criville Qion); 2. Max Biaggi (Yam)~ 3. Sete Gibemau (Hon); 4: Ta~y Okada 250cc QUALIFYING: 1. Shiny. Nakano 0:44.738); 2. Loris Capirossi 0:44.811); 3. Valentino Rossi (1:44.942); 4. Franco BaHam; 0:44.953); 5. Tohru Ukawa (1;45.385); 6. Olivier jacque 0:45.456); 7. Marcellino (lion); 5. Nonck Abe (Yilm); 6. John Kocinski (Hon); 7. Aoki (5). • ~ .0> .,.... en 15

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