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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128120
World Championship Road Race Series Round 1 0: Czech Republic Grand Prix after breaking a bone in his hand in a practice crash. Other retirements included Australian V-twin riders Brendan Clark (broken primary gear) and Anthony West (sick engine), and Paton-mounted countryman Sean 'Geronimo, while Leon Haslam crashed out on the exWalker Shell Advance Honda - his second tumble of the weekend. Rossi now has 195 points with six races left, with Biaggi on 166, Capirossi on 127, Barros on 107, and Abe and Nakano on 100 apiece. 250cc RACE Katoh stalled and was left on the line for the warm-up lap, but it meant little, for he leapt into the lead at the green light, and held off Harada for the first lap. Early on the second, the older Japanese rider padded him cleanly at the third corner, and from then on he drew steadily away, gaining a gap of almost four seconds with four laps remaining, dropping to just under three as he eased off slightly toward the finish. An almost immaculate victory. "I hoped this would happen, but I honestly didn't expect to lead for the whole race," said Harada. "There are still 150 points to be won this year, but I honestly don't think about the championship. It's just race by race. n (Left) Rossi gets swanned by fans on the cool-off lap after his sixth victory of the season. (Below) Max Biaggi gets a little help from the comer workers to get going again following his crash. Blaggl was able to work his way back up to the 10th position to salvage Sill points. a simple low-side slip-off, and proof of just how hard Biaggi was trying. Now all Rossi had to do was finish the race. Abe was second, but almost eight seconds adrift. Criville had gradually caught up to him by then, with Roberts about to succumb also to Capirossi and McCoy - the Australian had made up ground in spectacular fashion after getting boxed at the start, but was soon to run into tiresliding problems. One lap later, the 14th, Roberts was behind these and about to get pounced on into Turn One by Ukawa - perhaps this was the final indignity, for the champion pulled in high dudgeon at the end of that lap. There wasn't much more to happen, except for the final-lap battle for second. Abe led at the start of it; Criville took him into the first corner, and Capirossi down the hill, almost getting Criville at the same time. 28 SEPTEMBER 5, 2001 • cue They were pushing and shoving all the way to the end, but with no further change in order. Ukawa could be proud of his hardfought fifth ahead of McCoy; Checa's seventh was undistinguished; Gibernau - almost five seconds behind was fuming after having been fastest in morning warm-up. "We've shown we can be as fast as the leading group - but we don't have the equipment to do it in a race," he said. Barros was never in contention, blaming set-up problems that left him short of corner speed, absolutely crucial at this circuit. Then came Biaggi, with Red Bull Yamaha's Haga and Olivier Jacque glued together, 13 seconds behind him. Cardoso was 13th, Haru Aoki a lonely 14th, with Johan Stigefelt on the Sabre taking the last point, four seconds ahead of last-placed Barry Veneman. Gauloises Yamaha's Shinya Nakano withdrew before the race, • e n _ vv s Melandri had been third at the end of the first lap, almost 1.5 seconds adrift, and the gap grew slowly until he got his head down on lap four, and quickly closed on the second-placed Honda. It took him just two laps to push past, and the pair circulated together, Katoh just a few inches behind and now and then pushing a bit closer, until lap 13, when Katoh pushed inside into the first comer, the two almost colliding as Melandri swept in toward the apex already occupied by the Honda. A bit more close following ensued, then came the final lap. Soon Melandri returned the compliment, with a very hard move into the first chicane. Katoh pushed and probed for the rest of the lap, hanging back at the bottom of the hill to get a better exit - but it was to no avail. "For sure I feel a bit disappointed," the Japanese rider said. "I knew Harada's pace would be difficult, but it was also difficult to stay with Melandri. I passed him towards the end to give myself a chance, and pushed very hard - but he overtook me again. n Melandri explained his slow start to the race. "I had a very hard front tire, and after a big slide on the first lap I had to wait. A pity, because if I had been able to stay with Harada I could have kept his pace. I beat Katoh because I had an advantage under brakes - apart from that, I think we Italians are a little more aggressive than the Japanese in the last lap." Teammate McWilliams missed the party after being a little too aggressive in the first two laps, and having his second highside of the weekend.