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IRTA Test 10th of a second of one another, and the last riders within the same second as leader Rossi. McCoy stopped testing one day early after running with the fastest men; Haga kept on pushing to the end, though he failed to improve his time on the final day. Bullish as ever, Haga made light of the difficulties of adapting from a production-based four-stroke Superbike to a feisty two-stroke GP machine, with carbon brakes and on Michelin rather than Dunlop tires. The Red Bull Yamaha rookie was soon challenging the fast times, after shrugging off a first-day tumble. "Adapting is no problem. I'm already used to it," he said, adding: "The carbon brakes are different, but my style I don't use very hard braking, so it's okay." His ambition for the season running high, he promised to win s0':Tle races and possibly even challenge for the title. Haga has a smattering of GP experience, having finished on the rostrum as a wild card at the Japanese GP in 1998. The third Japanese class rookie Tohru Ukawa, up from the 250cc class, was next fastest, looking smooth and confident on the Repsol Honda. By MICHAEL SCOTT PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE JEREZ, SPAIN, FEB. 16-18 rand Prix racing got under way at Jerez with the first IRTA tests and Valentino Rossi waited until the last minute of the three-day test to write his name firmly at the top of the list. The popular Nastro Azzurro Honda rider had celebrated his 22nd birthday on the first of three days of testing. On the final day, he celebrated his status as a favorite for the 2001 season. Rossi knocked his great rival Max Biaggi and the Marlboro Yamaha from the top of the list by just over a tenth of a second, at a time inside the lap record, but a shade slower than Loris Capirossi's fastest testing time last year. Carlos Checa was a close third on the other Marlboro Yamaha, with the West Honda Pons riders Capirossi and Alex Barros next, and defending champion Kenny Roberts Jr. and his Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki way out of touch in 12th place. Roberts was narrowly beaten by his new teammate Sete Gibernau, and ended the tests fuming at the lack of improvement in spite of a revised engine and chassis combination for his Suzuki. Rossi was quietly confident, in a weekend when he was followed everywhere by fans - the final Sunday sessions drew a crowd rivaling that at the British GP. "I have one year's experience with the bike and with the team. The tests went well - but it is the racing that 38 FEBRUARY 28, 2001 • cue • matters," he said. Biaggi was less sanguine. "We still have some problems with chatter and vibration, and I cannot do more than one or two fast laps in a row," he said. But Checa was happier with the small but significant changes to ,the Yamaha. "It feels like a better direction for me," he said, after moving to the top of the Hst before lunch. He did not go out again. The West Honda riders had the advantage' of machine familiarity the satellite Honda teams use last year's model NSR. Shinya Nakano made an impressive public 500cc-class debut, starting off cautiously, but gradually increasing his pace. By the end, he had pushed through to seventh fastest, just seven tenths off the fastest time. "I'm enjoying the feeling of the bike and the power," said the ex250cc rider. "But I want to take it step by step." Teammate Olivier Jacque, who beat Nakano to the 250cc title last year, missed the tests but came to Jerez on the final day, his right arm still in a cast. He broke it in earlier tests at Sepang. "I should be alright to test before the start of the season," he said. "Team Roberts is back. The others started noticing us today. I hope I can make them nervous of us." So said Jurgen van den Goorbergh, after placing seventh in his n ... _ s ... (Above) Valentino Rossi left Jerez with the fastest time of the three-day IRTA test. Rossi edged out fellow Italian rival Max Blaggi bya tenth of a second with only minutes remaining on the final day. (Right) Max Blaggl fought vibration and chassisbalance problems throughout the test, but was stili able to post the second-fastest time. first meeting with the V-four giants since he signed up to campaign the three-cylinder lightweight Proton (nee Modenas) V-three. The Dutchman had been as high as fourth overall on the latest version of the machine. Red Bull Yamaha teammates Garry McCoy and rookie Noriyuki Haga placed eight and ninth, within a Alex Criville piled yet more misfortune on his blighted post-championship career when he crashed on the final day of IRTA tests, reopening a hand injury that he sustained in preseason testing. The Repsol Honda rider is expected to be fit in time for the start of the season, but to miss the remaining IRTA tests.