Round 4: French Grand Prix
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD RACE SERIES
By Michael Scott
Photos by Gold & Goose
LE CASTELLET, FRANCE, MAY 23
n the absence of the king, prince Alex
Criville" on his Repsol Honda claimed
his second successive race win in the
French Grand Prix today by a comfortable II-second margin over John Kocinski's Kanemoto Honda. In doing so, Criville extended his title lead to 26 points.
But the injured five-time World
Champion Mick Doohan was not the
onl y significan t a bsen tee from the
results. Criville's race was made even
easier when Max Biaggi crashed his
Marlboro Yamaha out of the lead on the
third of 31 laps of the sun-soaked Paul
Ricard circuit in the South of France,
and then the next leader, Kenny Roberts
JL, crashed h:is Suzuki with six la ps
remaining, after succumbing to Criville's attack three laps before.
"When I saw how much of a lead I
had, 1 thought: 'You can tell that Mick is
not racing today:" said Criville afterward. That pretty much said it all.
Roberts' comment was just as telling.
Overcome by the Honda's superior
straight-line speed, he blamed "a stupid
mistake" for his costly crash - a spectacular high-sider in the final corner from
which he was. lucky to walk away
unhurt. He'd stayed on Criville's rear
wheel, hoping for an opportunity in the
closing stages.
"I was pushing the front all the time,
and this time 1 just pushed it a bit too
hard:' he said.
Earning the lap record was small
consolation for Roberts.
Biaggi's crash was faster and more
costly.
"Everything was perfect; then I lost
the rear wheet:' he said.
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(Above) Max Blaggi (2) is about to flick it right into tum one at the Paul Ricard Circuit to lead the French 500cc Grand Prix over Kenny
Roberts Jr. (10) and the rest of the pack.
(Below) Blaggi jumped out to an immediate lead before crashing out of the race on the third lap.
