Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

500cc GRAND PRIX With the weather dry and qualifying close, this was always going to be good. And the battling was on at the first tum, where Biaggi tried to force past fast-starting Rossi, and instead lost two places. By the end of that lap, he was fifth, with Barros second, then Jacque and an on-form Haga. Barros took the lead next time around, with Haga pushing past Rossi as well next time around, riding with full aggression. This trio went back and forth, with Biaggi poised behind, then Jacque, proving once again that he is ready to become a 500cc frontrunner. At this stage, it seemed to be developing into a double race, the next group close together, led briefly by Gibernau. But the Spaniard was troubled by front-wheel slides after adding extra gas - he'd run out the week before. By lap three, Abe was in front, with fast-starting van den Goorbergh with him, as well as Ukawa. Nakano was closing from behind, while Capirossi was at the back, also battling slides with a full tank. The gap from the leaders grew to more than three seconds on lap seven, by which time Ukawa was at the van. Abe was trying to keep Capirossi at bay, and they collided twice, the second bang sending the Japanese rider off the track to rejoin way back in 17th. The front men were laying on one of the best races even the graybeards had ever seen, swapping back and forth, with Haga taking the lead for the first time in his short GP career on the 10th lap. Remarkably, however, the second group was lapping faster in a fairly slow-paced race, and with Capirossi now leading the way, they all closed up again. Garry McCoy was now with the Italian, ahead of Ukawa, and this trio was the first to tag on the back of the leaders, on lap 14. Soon afterward, Nakano and Gibemau also joined on, both getting up to speed with the lightening fuel loads. But McCoy's race would not last much longer clutch problems saw him slipping away, and eventually into the pits. Only van den Goorbergh was not with them, after suspected fuel starvation struck on three consecutive laps, and he lost touch. "After that, I used up my rear tire trying to catch up - but I think we'd surprised a few people by then," he said. Capirossi was now the man to watch, as he picked his way through this brawling gang with great determination. This was not easy. All were heavily engaged and only inches apart. In fact, Barros and Rossi touched once at more than 190 mph, sending a puff of tire smoke as Barros's rear wheel brushed Rossi's front. By lap 17, Capirossi moved to second, diving past Rossi and Barros very edge. But Rossi was waiting for his chance. "My tires were sliding a lot," Rossi said. "I tried to go away, but it was impossible. I just had one chance left - one place to tryon the last lap." It was MG corner, another slow bend no more than 400 yards from the finish, and he moved firmly inside Biaggi under braking to take the lead for the last time. Only the fast lefts remained, and Biaggi hung back to use his higher corner speed, then pick up the draft on the exit to shoot past over the line. He almost succeeded, pulling almost alongside as they passed the flag. But once again, Rossi had done enough, claiming a ninth win of the season, and the 37th of his career - which, coincidentally, puts him equal overall with Biaggi. Capirossi had been nursing his tires, and in the closing stages Jacque looked the strongest. But the Italian was also waiting his chance, moving to third on the second-to-Iast lap, and holding on to it over the line. Teammate Barros was less than two tenths behind, his own hopes of a podium spoiled when he and Biaggi collided at Honda Hairpin two laps from the end, putting him out of position for the final scramble. Half-a-second back, Ukawa had managed to escape, while a relatively huge 1.2-second gap preceded the next battlers - Jacque just ahead of Nakano, Haga almost alongside, and Gibemau three-tenths adrift. There have been closer finishes for the top positions, but never before for the first six, the first seven, the first eight or the first nine. Seventeen seconds behind, van den Goorbergh had been dropping back since half-distance, but was watching his pit boards, and did just enough to stay half-a-second clear of Alex Criville. The former champion in two consecutive corners, and now looming over Biaggi. On lap 19, Capirossi took the lead, but he held it for only one lap. "After six laps, I was able to work hard and catch up, but by the time I got to the front, I had used up my rear tire," he said. Biaggi was back in front on lap 20 - a stage of most races when riders are generally pretty strung out. Not today, however, and Rossi dogged his rival's back wheel, with Barros, Jacque, Capirossi and the rest all still right there. The next development came with four laps left, with Rossi moving inside Biaggi at Turn Two, a relatively slow left-hander. As the yellow Honda started to inch away, it seemed the major decisions had been made. But he was never more than half-a-second clear, and at the start of the 25th lap, Biaggi blew by him down the straight. He was still in front as they started the last lap too, riding on the cue I • n • _ lIS • OCTOBER 24,2001 13

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