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World Championship Road Racing Series Round 4: French Grand Prix Dai;iro Kato (74) had his first DNF of the year after crashing with 10 laps to go. Here, he leads Loris Capirossl (85), Norlck Abe (hIdden) and Kenny Roberts Jr. (10). the bike as it is now," Roberts said happily afterward. "But it's still very new. We need to improve the chassis and get more power, then I know we can do better." Then, very surprisingly, came Nobuatsu Aoki on the lightweight three-cylinder Proton, a bike distinctly disfavoured on the stop-and-go dragstrip Le Mans circuit. He had been inches behind Roberts for much of the race, but even more than Abe was thwarted by the four-strokes' faster acceleration. Sixth equaled the three-cylinder's best-ever result, by Kenny Roberts Jr. at the Sachsenring in 1998; and was also a best yet for Bridgestone tires, new to the top class this season. American rookie John Hopkins had another highly promising race, finishing 11th, 25 seconds behind the leader in his first visit to the track. Earlier, Aprilia's Fonsi Nieto won his second 250cc race in as many weeks after an almost race-long battle with factory Aprilia rider Marco Melandri, riding with an injured foot. On the penultimate lap, they swapped places four times after each set a new record on the preceding two, but the Spaniard had it under control, to win by less than a quarter of a second. Randy de Puniet held off fellow Aprilia rider Roberto Locatelli to the line to take the rostrum in his home GP: Roberto Rolfo was fifth on the first Honda home, with factory teammate Emilio Alzamora nipped for sixth by ex-125cc star Aprilia's Toni Elias. Aprilia's Lucio Cecchinello held on ahead of an attritional brawl in a desperately close 125cc race to take his second win of the year by just seven 30 MAY 29, 2002' cue I • 100ths from defending Champion Gilera's Manuel Poggiali and Spanish teenager Daniel Pedrosa, on a Honda. Frustrated Frenchman Arnaud Vincent on an Aprilia was fourth after a dramatic up-and-down race, twice almost put off and eng.aged throughout in a violent battle with Honda's Masao Azuma, who went to third on the last corner but was fifth over the line. MataOP RACE For the first seven laps, it resembled an Fl race, where teammates tend to travel in pairs, reflecting the level of their various machines. Rossi led away, with Ukawa glued to his back wheel, while Biaggi got the jump on Checa, and the two red bikes took up station behind, dropping back at a few 10ths of a second every lap. Capirossi was fifth, heading Abe, then came fast-starting Aoki, briefly ahead of Kato. McWilliams had gotten away slowly from the second row and was "swamped" into the first tight chicane, finishing lap one down in 15th. As the leaders pulled steadily ahead, Kato was moving through, and also Roberts a couple of places Rossi (right! and Ukawa (center! have been on the podium for the last three races In a row, but Blaggi (left) made his first rostnim appearance of the year In France. that, but his gravel stayed behind to end Checa's race. "It was a real shame," said the Spaniard after his second successive non-finish. "The bike was feeling comfortable and I was confident, and Max and I were closing on the Hondas again. But we have to keep looking forward to the next race." On lap 10, Rossi seemed to have slowed because of the rain and looked over his shoulder. Ukawa also slowed, and Biaggi pounced on both of them to lead. It wasn't the rain, however, said Rossi. "I made a mistake," he said succinctly, proving that life isn't necessarily that easy on the Honda, and the Michelin tires really are as close to the edge as he has said. Kato was closing rapidly and clearly getting ready to challenge Rossi, now third, when he fell; then Ukawa passed Biaggi at the end of the front straight, and the trio stayed in close formation for the next six laps. Ukawa then started to pull away behind, dispatching Nakano on lap two and Aoki the next time around, on lap 17, a full second ahead of the silver Proton staying with him as Biaggi one lap later. "The bike was he followed Kato toward the front. But the Suzuki wasn't able to stick with he said. the Honda two-stroke, as Kato found his rhythm and moved past Abe and He'd been haunting Biaggi's back going much better than in practice," Rossi was having none of this. then Capirossi to close on the lead- wheel and then moved inside at the ers. By now, the Yamahas were end of the back straight to chase and creeping up on the Honda pair again, close down on his teammate rapidly closing a gap of 1.3 seconds on lap enough to pass him on the tight cor- eight to seven 10ths on lap nine. ner before the back straight on that Harada had passed Nakano for 10th when he had his contretemps on crucial 21 st lap. lap eight, blaming "a banal mechani- and had a half-hearted attack, before By now, Abe had closed on Biaggi cal problem." He pitted soon after- dropping back by a second; Roberts ward, rejoined, then retired soon after n __ s had outpaced Aoki, who was begin- ning to suffer serious tire wear. He was not the only one pleased that the race was stopped when it was. Capirossi had dropped away behind him, saying later: "After my road accident [a cycling pensioner died after he swerved in front of the rider at home in Italy] I have not been myself, and I only wanted to finish." Alex Barros was three seconds behind him in eighth, complaining of power and-acceleration problems all race long. Then came Regis Laconi after a solid and brave run on the Aprilia four-stroke, just 17 seconds behind the leader - ninth the bike's best dry finish. McWilliams had been struggling with rear-tire problems causing "pulsing" after his bad start and was another four seconds away. Then came Hopkins in 11 th, his best result, after overtaking a much-troubled Sete Gibernau's Suzuki - he had been troubled by tire chatter and too much engine braking all weekend long, but just managed to fend off Nakano's Gauloises Yamaha, the Japanese rider coping with a bent handlebar after his collision with Harada. Comeback man Jean-Michel Bayle's Red Bull Yamaha was another eight 10ths behind, then came van den Goorbergh's Honda, his Bridgestone tires also shot. The returned Jose Luis Cardoso's Yamaha was six seconds behind for 16th and last. Rossi, of course, extended his points lead, now 95 points to Ukawa's 61. Capirossi has 45, Abe 43, Kato 39 and Barros 29, one point ahead of Aoki, who is having a remarkable season. 25Dcc RACE Melandri led away, then Locatelli took the lead from the third to the 10th laps. With Nieto and de Puniet in close attendance, exciting rookie Aprilia's Casey Stoner m-ade five in