Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128100
World Championship Road Race Series Round 1 : .Japanese Grand Prix away from MS Aprilia's Marco Melandri, the youngster riding injured after dislocating his shoulder in practice. On race eve, Melandri wasn't even sure he would be able to race at all, and on the day he finally lost fourth place to semi-privateer Roberto Rolfo, in a strong return on the Safilo Oxydo Aprilia. There were 22 finishers, the last of them Katja Poensgen, who earned respect for qualifying and then finishing her fir.st GP, on a low-level privateer Aprilia. The 125cc race was tooth-and-nail stuff, with early leader Noboru Ueda and his TSR Honda crashing out of a seven-strong gang, and Masao Azuma and his Liegeois Honda prevailing at the finish by less than a tenth over Derbi's Youichi Ui. Simone Sanna and his Safilo Oxydo Aprilia were '! close third, coming from the back of the group on the last lap to keep Gino Borsoi, Manuel Poggiali and Lucio Cecchinello off the rostrum. 500cc GRAND PRIX Biaggi got off the line best, but was firmly shouldered aside by Capirossi in the Esses. Then it was Nakano's turn to push past, at the hairpin, and they finished lap one in 8 APRIL 18, 2001 • cue I lAbove) Kenny Roberts Jr. had a rough weekend. The defending World Champion fought tire problems and a lack of power to finish seventh. (Below) Roasi won his third career SOOCc GP, giving Honda its SOOth Grand Prix victory. e n e _ s that order, with McCoy fourth, then Abe, Barros, and Roberts. Capirossi held the lead only until the third lap, by which time McCoy was on the charge, sliding past Nakano in impressive style through Dunlop Curve, then motoring past the Honda on the long back straight - all the Yamahas were visibly the fastest bikes on the track in this section. Capirossi already knew he was in trouble, with vibration and no grip from the rear. Afterward, his team found a split in the tire. Roberts was also dropping back, short of the power he needed to stop one after another rider coming past. Up front, Rossi was moving through after finishing the first lap seventh. The fighting was brutal, with Haga playing a notably aggressive role. But it was Biaggi who gave Rossi the most trouble. He had caught him by the fourth lap, but Biaggi was obviously prepared to try anything to keep him back, including the desperately dangerous move on the front straight, where he put Rossi right off the track. "He shut the door and I had to go onto the gravel. I felt some fear then," Rossi said later. But after the race both were prepared to write it off as a racing incident, though some observers felt that Biaggi had earned at least a reprimand for dangerous riding. Two laps later, after more of the same, Rossi managed to get alongside on the front straight, and slammed his Honda in front of Biaggi into the first corner. Once he had the bike settled in the turn, he took his left hand off the bars to show him a single digit.