Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Valentino Rossi (46) leads Stefano Perugini (7) and the rest of the field in the 250cc Grand Prix. Rossi had the race in the bag until his Aprilia threw its chain. "I was close to taking off over the handlebars," he said. "I was ready to race on, but the screen and fairing were broken so badly that 1 had to pull in." His teammate Jurgen van den Goorbergh was close behind and watched it all. Then, on lap seven, his engine went flat, refusing to rev past 6000 rpm, and his race was done. Jean-Michel Bayle retired his Modenas with an electrical problem. His teammate Mike Hale was already out, ha ving crashed and injured his hand in morning warmup. Criville's second straight win turned a one-point advantage into 26 points - 79 to nonscorer Roberts's 53. Checa moves to third on 47, followed by Gibernau's 46, Abe's 37 and Doohan's 33. 250cc GRAND PRIX Rossi started the warmup lap from the pit lane after swapping to his spare bike. He'd had electrical problems in the morning, and they persisted in spite of swapping the black box. But he took the lead on the econd lap after pa ing faster starters Loris Capirossi and firstlap leader Perugini and then started to pull away steadily. He was a full second ahead by one-third distance, and then the stretched it to four seconds oon after half-distance as Capirossi started . to drop away, later blaming a power drop-off. '1 knew from the first lap my engine was not running right," he said later, though he did claim fastest lap of the race, just short of the reqlrd. Ukawa had claimed third from Nakano on lap four, and as the race wore on, he started ·to close up on Capirossi. He was on his fellow Honda rider's back wheel by lap 20 and passed him easily on the exit from the fa t corner at the end of the Mistral Straight. Could he close a four-second gap on Rossi? Not very likely, though he did keep pace with him. But in the end he didn't need to. As Rossi started his last lap, he slowed to avoid a slower rider into the first corner. "When 1 opened the throttle, it was as though 1 was in neutral," he said. '1 tried another gear - same thing. 1 stopped and saw my chain had come off both front and rear sprockets, so 1 could do nothing." Thus Ukawa's first-ever win - after seven second places, three this year alone - was a gift, which he accepted happily. "1 have worked very hard for this," he said, "and so has the team. The bike, the tires - everything was perfect today." Capiro si's race had lasted only one lap more. "I was riding relaxed - then suddenly 1 was on the ground," ~ said. He'd fallen 'victim to the left-hander syndrome, and though slightly concussed he escaped serious injury. The close fighting had been behind, with fast starter Jay Vincent struggling successfully to keep his private Honda with the faster bikes of akano, Perugini, Battaini and Jeremy McWilliams, with the last-named getting his '98-spec Aprilia away ahead from about half-distance.. He seemed to have third place in the bag, but then, with 10 laps to go, his rear brake failed, and he was having trouble holding his line. So when Nakano closed up in the final laps, he had to ride even harder to resist the Japanese rider's pressure. Nakano did nose ahead at the start of the last lap, but McWilliams' Aprilia outpowered the Yamaha down the Mistral, and he was ahead again when he ran too fast into the first lefthander. The front slid and he was down, gifting what had become second place with Rossi's retirement to Nakano. Furious, McWilliams remounted and finished 11th. The next group were locked together over the line, with Perugini leading the Sunday evening after dev",loping complications following a crash . an 'apartment close by to continue hi~ recuperation after e~tensive . on the first lap of the 12ScC Grand Prix. At first he·",;as diagnosed surgery last Friday. Three surgeons w<;lrked on the five-time World · as liaving .only broken his collarbone. but he later iost corisciou's- 'Champion sirriultaneQusly. repairing his shoulder, ,leg and wrist ness' and was taken into intensive care. Dactors planned a brain injuries sustained three weeks ago at Jerez in a 3 I.t-hour opera· . . .. ~ tion. Doohan "s collarbone was. pinned and other work done on 'The GP future of last year's' British Grand Prix winner. Simon scan and said they would not be able to give any definite informa. damaged tendons in his right shoulder; his left wrist was plated Crafar. is in jeopardy after the New Zealander has found himself tion until Monday. 'and his rillht leg fitted witli two plates and 12 screws. Doohan struggling after his. Red Bull Yamaha team's enforced switch to Aprllia denied rumors that II would quit the 500cc class after a hopes to be back on the GP. scene at Assen, on June 26. and at Michelin tires after the withdrawal of Dunlop from the class. Crathe British GP a week later - but to visll rather than race. In the far crashed in preseason testing and has struggled even to beat poor showing in the first three races for new rider Tetsuya Harada on the lightweight Y-twin. Harada pulled out of the wet Japanese case of the British.race. he plans to attend the Riders for Health the Y-twins. at the first four races of this year, He was 14th in GP. blaming poor performance from his Dunlop tires. and withdrew charity day. Racingwise. he hopes to be fit enough to compete in Malaysia and Spain. crashed out in the first comer in Japan. and also just after the start of tpe Spanish GP at Jerez. after gearthe 10th round. at Bmo on August 22. at the earliest. But he has was 11Ih in France in a race with only 14 finishers. 'I don't know changing problems on the first lap. "I still have faith in the Y-twin, told close contacts that he is determined to race again, despite what to do about it. but I don't think the team can cany on· much longer with me going like this," Crafar told a TV interviewer. Team and I am sure we can get some .good results this year.· Harada the' severity of his crash. explained on the eve of the French GP. - But I did not want to con. m~nager Peter CliffOrd said: 'It's a sensitive issue 'at the moment. tinue in Spain because a gearbox problem can be dangerous. If the Wayne Gardne... and Freddie.Spencer were invited to race I know that Simon' is not happy any mOre than I·am. It's very puzengine seizes, the rider can pull in the clutch; but if the gearbox at this year's Suzuka 8 Hours race in'a Honda factory dream team zling,. but w~ hope we can find a .solution, " locks up. you ca'n. do nothing except crash.· Just "to prove the - but aneast one' of them has declined. This was confirmed by After 'the race." Max .Blaggi took.a .heiicopter to Monaco for. point; Haraaa vyas fastest in the first day of practice. when' hig", Gardner, woo visited Jerez and ran a lap of the track on Saturday surgery c1<;lser .to ·home. on' his badly dislocate'd left Iittie finger.. wil;ds made conditions tr!"acherous. It was the ·first time·a twin-. . on' a -BMW tWin - in his -shirl·sleeves. -I still -miss racing motorcycles and everything' that· goes with it.' the 1987' S00cc World cylinder 500 has .topped p\

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