Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) Tetsuya Harada (31) was once again impressive on the Aprilia. The Japanese rider finished fourth after getting the better of Juan Borja (hidden). (Right) Criville celebrates his home GP victory. , ments, complaining that his tire choice for his MuZ was too far off to be worth carrying on, James Whitham was stopped for jumping the start on the Modenas, and he retired with clutch trouble soon after taking the penalty, Michael Rutter and Paolo Tessari, on the Paton, both retired, Criville now has a massive points lead of 55 points - bigger after six races even than any amassed by Doohan, He has 129 points while Roberts clings on to second with 74, Gibernau has 72, Okada 68, Checa 65, and Biaggi and Borja are tied with 47 apiece, 250Cc GRAND PRIX It looked as though Rossi was firmly in control, as he first stalked fast starter Ukawa and then powered past quite easily down the main straight to lead on lap 10 - and in the end he was, But it was only by the narrowest of margins, as Ukawa fought back to stay right up close and then to challenge him repeatedly on the last lap, trying first the left and then the right to finish just a quarter of a second behind, "Six or seven laps from the end 1 thought it would be better to let Ukawa lead," Rossi later explained, "but he wouldn't do it. Then 1 tried as hard as 1 could for,a few laps, but when 1 looked around, he was still there. So on the last lap 1 kept all the doors closed, I knew it would be hard for him to pass because I was quicker than him in the last three comers." • 8! ... g ~ .., ::0 20 It was his third win, and Ukawa's fourth second place this year, and the pair had controlled the race almost from the start. Ralf Waldmann had lost his chance to be with them, crashing on the first lap after a headstrong collision, Australian Anthony West also crashed out on lap one, In fact, Nakano's Chesterfield Yamaha had led off the line, but he was in second after one lap, third a lap after that, and fourth behind Marcellino Lucero's Docshop Aprilia one lap later, simply short of power, though he added,that he was not on top form after his tumble in practice, Yet another Aprilia was on the way - slow starter Franco Battaini, who also passed the Japanese Yamaha rider on lap four and closed up on Lucchi, only for the older rider to move away and joint the leading pair, Lucchi actually also passed Ukawa one lap after Rossi, but Ukawa got by him on the comers before the end of the lap and remained in front until, six laps from the finish, Lucchi noticed steam coming from his radia tor, or so he thought. He was looking down to investigate when he ran off the track, finish~ ing up with a low-speed tumble that put him out of the race, By now Nakano had got going again and was on Battaini's tail, He attacked on the final lap, but Battaini managed to pass him back' to score his first-ever rostrum finish, Roberto Rolfo's Vasco Rossi Aprilia was next, having outdistanced Jeremy McWilliams' Team OptimlUll Aprilia in the closing laps, In fact, McWilliams' rear brake was binding, and when he pitted after the race, the wheel could barely be turned, Briton Jay Vincent had been with this pair, but he pulled out early OJ;!, his shift lever broken, There were a number of crashes, including the luckless Swedish rider Johan StigefeIt, and only 18 finishers, Ukawa retains a healthy points lead, 121 points to Rossi's 95, Then comes Nakano, dropping to third on 85 points, Battaini has 62 and the absent defending World Champion Loris Capirossi, suspended from this race for misdemeanors at the last race, has 67, 125cc GR~ND PRIX Another remarkable race with a huge gang - seven riders, this time - disputing the lead as hard as they could go, and all of them making the finish without Briefly~~~~ .... crashing, Again, it required a combination of aggression and clever tactics, Alzamora was the most aggressive, which made Arnaud Vincent's victory' all the more impressive, The same goes for youngster Marco Melandri's third, He had played no prominent part in the battle, but when the last lap came around, there he was, where and when it mattered, Aside from Vincent, Lucio Cecchinel10 had done most of the leading in the early stages, with Givi Honda teammate Noboru Ueda also running up front briefly at the finish, They were fourth and fifth at the end, with pole starter Roberto Locatelli running wide on the last lap, lucky to recover to take sixth, , the, Yan'!a'ha' S"perblke,~n them ~ithout any'proble(l1s, Froin y~ste;day" r,ve been p.utting'the word ar\lurid the ,other ,teams, and maybe there'll tie , , ' a cbance to try anothe!, rila~hine:" " ,Consternation was, reported ,at .Rep;o.l, after ii wa; Jeam'i'd 'th,at Mlck 'Crafar ~lllJ 'tesied the Yamaha R7 ~uperbike earli'er in the'w,eeK at Mls- ' Doohan's~ first ,public lippejlrarice sjnce ,his derez' crash will be to ,a~o. selling compe,titive ti,r,es'in a 30-iap outing, 'The tesi had nothing to ' 'Shell headquarters' In Holland',before the D~tch vyher~ ,the: five-time, ' do wi'th' qUillin.g, the GP t~,a'm: ju'st ,that 'I might share the' bike with, World'Champion'is expected to court ,sponsorShip money to run his oWn ,(!'Joriyukj) Haga,at tlie aliours'.." Grafar'did not rill!! out a'retum to super:team 'neXt' year, 'Daohan' has already 'raised hackles :at Repsol and, at,,, bike's: Qui said, ",At th,e'moment.1 w"nt to;be in the' GPi;, ~ 'Crafar crilshed Hcinoo 'with 'his irlVo!vement. with ,the' Shell AdVance, 250 ,team, wliich he in' preseason testing ,and: bas been way off the' pac,e all'year: but he is aJso co-owns,' ':' .., " " the 'only Tidei,of this year's Yamaha notto:have,crashed severill times.. He' , " ' , ' 'r")lealed,that he',had been'using a i99a'chassis f,or almost ,the whole Sea-' ,-After a serlous'crOwd"invasion for second. rae.e. in succession. 'the flM· . ~on': .' . . ..' . , . has',threatened to ,withhold homologation (due at thee",f or the yea'r) " ' "itQ(l1 It,alian GP:venue,S 'Mugeliq ~n'd' Catalunya unless ttTey' can demo~: Ther~ was ,~riti~is";~f,cir Re(fB~II'tea";,ma~ager p * Ciiffon.: fornot , strate' that the ctewds ,can be controlled, A.track invasion ,at Jerez in ',1996 'giving Cralar :ihe c'~ange to, prove ,himselfi: on hiidal(ored, 'tracks ',- but it came' orielap' bE!f6re ,the fin'ish, posslb'ly affecting the ,outcome ,of the,' ' ,seems 'likely thanhe team'was'bejng squef;lzed from above by pressure', 50Ccc 'race ana certainly putting s.peiotator,s, and ,ridie~s In considerable' , frol)1 disillusioned sponsors, Red Bull, who have p'ut similar pressure' on danger" The circuit owners.'there Were obligieQ to improve 'the .fencing ,to ',thie equally 'unsuccessful Sauber Formula ,One ,team' this ye'ar, 'Asked, , avoid'a repeat. , ," ... about the timirig, Clifford explained: 'We did '22 'days ,of'testing before the " season', 'and all ihe:GPs so far, and We have seen no' suggestion' ,that.' I' Simon Crafar, who Y"on'the Britisti GP last. " ','Simon would, b,e,coining b~ck' tp,J;is pre~ibus :form; This 'inClude,s :tracks ,'year, split up 'with 'his Red B,,11 Yoamaha, , , ':'(here he w~s ,comPetitive last year: especially Phillip' Island," Who will team' on the ,eye' of p'ractice for the Catalun,-, , 'replace. him on the works Yamaha? Team, manager Cliffoid would say lityan 'GP, Tbe announcement came on the ,tie, b~t ihere are several candidates': Daryl ' Beettle, ihough the Aus,morning thai practice began, .leaving, the grip" t'raljan form'er title runner.-up is tho"ght'to have ,been offered;a test short by ,one, rider, Officially, he and ti)e team already, but a~ked too much' moriey' -, .ued SUpport for, the 30-year-old New Zealan· ' art, whose riame cam,e into,the frame when it. was revealed '~e f3llied to , 'tUrn up for the' flfst day of qualifying for the AMA Superblke 'Ch.ampl- ' de(, who may return to race 'a fOur-stroke lor , ihe factory at the Suzuka a ,Mou'S race. The ,onship (Cpuld be'e'n rOute to Europe? No', 'as it turns out.-He was just late _' not AWGLl; Niall Mackenz;e', old'friend and former'rider for'the' decision came after a ,season cif deeply disI 'appointing results,'with C~afar,apparenlly' ,WC~ team _ though engaged,with Yamaha,defending'his Britis~ Sup,ercompiete'ly flummoxed' after the' team bike tiile, he is'the,most likely candidate at ieast'for th.e hext two taces: switched' from' hiS preferred Dunlo'p tires to , ', ' , John Kocinski's U,S;-registered inoto,home was confiscated by , Michelins when. Dunlop withdrew from the '500cc'class, But there was 'surprise at the French customs en route ,to Catalunya,.leading to fines for tlie rider'and timing of ttie'decision .. which came Just one ," " week before the Dutch and British GPs- races where Crafar' shone' last , se,n.ding af(lsson of fear through th~ p~ddock, where ,U S -regi,stered Xea'r, disputing the iead at Assen: then runninll'away to ";in at'Donirigton, mobile palaces are <;ommon, KOCinski S dnver was, st0pped near Macon 'According to, Crafar.' the split had been :coming for, some time," It's 'just" In France', ana f~und to have, cO(l1prehensly el x infringed ,egulatlons that no fun going 'to i' garage where you're not 'wanted," he ,explained, He i)ad allow forelgn-reglster,ed vehlcle,~ to be uS,ed ,'n Europe for only SIX months, ' 'come to Catalunya' feeling ttiere was "less than a 50-percent likelihood The fine for the, offense was 40,000 French francs, but It Will cost a great (of racing)," and he' and team manager,Peter 'Clifford had agreed not to deal more to recover the vehicle" KOCinski, must provldf;l,a bank guarantee 'prolong the agony,' "Assen and, Donington weren't in Pete's plan," 'said' for 170,000 French francs ,to .customs" refundable qnly when the vehl~le' ,Crafar, His own plan wa~, "to find anotherway 'to get back ontq the ros: IS, re·expor-ted back to the ,USA, or co~vert:,d (,f pOSSible) to comply With trum'in the 500cc class, It feels like unfinished Dusiness to me, and I know' EUrDl?ean registration regulations, ',' can, get there, 'Th'e problem t,his 'year was just ,the ,combination'of ,me, the, , Michelin iire~, and the Yamaha, ,Obvi,ously,. the tires are good - I,te'sled ' Ale" ,Ba~ has dumped hiS 1g\l9'Honda NSR for a, 199~ modiel: afte( , strugg,lin,g wit~ the new,ma~~lne,all season, Th~,B'razilian"rider:'V;:ho hold~ :r:r: a

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