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/128128
keep my concentration - and my efforts paid off." The championship, he added, hadn't sunk in yet. "I have no time to celebrate - but perhaps I will buy myself something later. Though my wife will be angry." The defeated Harada congratulated him "from the bottom of my heart" in the post-race press conference, and said: "I had some chatter problems, and that is the main reason I could not win today;" while thirdplaced Nieto said: "I caught Harada but I think he was playing with me. Every time I closed the gap, he would go faster again." Derbi's Youichi Ui took his second successive massive 125 win, to keep his own slender championship chances alive, but with points leader Manuel Poggiali and his Gilera claiming second at the head of a frantic race-long brawl, and erstwhile title leader Toni Elias sixth, the Spaniard's chances were over. MS Aprilia's Lucio Cecchinello was third, with Danny Pedrosa fourth, then Gino Borsoi ahead of the luckless Elias, with Arnaud Vincent and Masao Azuma at the rear of a group that crossed the line within three seconds, with the next man almost 25 seconds adrift. "I won, but I had no luck, because Poggiali was second," said Ui afterward. "If he has bike problems in Rio, I can be champion, but he doesn't need to push. I will push anyway because I like winning." Poggiali was also thinking about Brazil. "I got a bad start, which made it difficult today - but I didn't look at my pit board and kept pushing. Now, in Rio, I just want to finish." The races, held in hot tropical conditions, were watched by a small crowd, dwarfed by the magnificent banks and grandstands of the superlative Sepang circuit. 500cc GRAND PRIX Roberts led from the traps, and the blue Suzuki held the lead convincingly for the first two laps, and stayed in the thick of it as Capirossi passed on lap three, with McCoy, Biaggi and Rossi all joining the party. Rossi had passed Roberts midway through lap four, but the Suzuki rider was lining him up as he ran wide into the slow left-hander three-quarters of the way back to the start line, as Rossi ran wide. Then, as he dived for the inside, Biaggi came up the inside, out of control after leaving his braking too late, and they both went down. Roberts has started well previously this season, only to drop back after 10 laps or so, but this time he said: '" felt more comfortable with the bike and the tires than for a long time, and I believe I could have had a top-three finish." Nobody could gainsay this, given the circumstances; while Biaggi said: "I was coming through a little too fast, and Kenny was going for his line. I'd like to give my apologies to him." This left Capirossi leading from McCoy and Rossi, but Barros was close behind, with Abe about to pass him to carry the Brazilian, and behind that Nakano up to join the leaders. A Uke last week's race at Philip Island, the racing up front was tight and exciting. Here, Roberts (1) leads Loris CaplrossI (651, Max BiIIggI (31, Vlllentlno RossI (461 and Gany McCoy (5). little way back came Sete Gibernau, getting his head together after a breakdown on the sighting lap had the team changing his ignition on the start line (it had also failed in morning warm up), and tagging on behind, so that on lap nine, much like Australia last week, there were seven riders all jammed up tight. By now, McCoy had seized the lead under brakes (on lap six), and was trying without success to break free. Rossi tried and tried to get by, but McCoy's late slithery braking meant the task was far from easy. He managed it on lap 12, and upped the pace, breaking up the gang. One lap later, McCoy was more than one second adrift, with Abe now third, then Capirossi and Nakano, with Ukawa now at the front of the next group, from Gibernau, Barros and Criville. Jacque had been with them, but was losing ground, soon to crash out. Rossi drew steadily away, while Abe left suddenly, sliding out at the last hairpin, and remounting frantically to rejoin 13th, way behind. The battle for second lasted almost to the finish, with Capirossi outbraking McCoy into tum one on the thirdto-last lap and managing to gain a little breathing space. On the final lap, Nakano started to attack the Australian with impressive aggression, passing him in turn one only for McCoy to force straight back in front at the next corner. They changed places once more before they got to the flag, but McCoy was not to be denied his first rostrum finish since the first'race of the year in Japan, where he was second, and managed to lead him over the line by almost three tenths. Ukawa had broken free by the finish to take fourth, just three seconds behind, and four ahead of Criville. "If I had started well, I'm sure I could have made the podium - I spent the whole race trying to recover positions," the Japanese rider said. Barros was a similar distance behind at the finish, blaming poor set up and consequent heavy front-tire wear for slowing his pace as the race wore on. Gibemau also lost touch at the end, saying afterward: "I was crashing at every corner to make up for the speed difference on the straight - I must have been on the floor four or five times." Ten seconds behind came Nori Haga, after an undistinguished race, which he blamed on tire chatter. But he did manage to fend off Carlos Checa at the finish, the Marlboro McCoy (5) looked back on fonn at Sepang, sliding his Yamaha In spec:tacular fashion throughout the race. cue •• R __ is • OCTOBER 31, 2001 7