Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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shortly after Roberts had gotten back ahead. As the heat took its toll on adhesion, Roberts' familiar throttle connection problem saw him drop back into the clutches of Loris Capirossi's West Honda two-stroke, and the pair were soon joined by a second NSR ridden by Capirossi's teammate Barros. Both were ahead of the Suzuki by lap 10; after seven more, Barros started to enjoy the benefit of a tire choice much softer than Michelin had recommended to secure the position. Capirossi had a couple of offs, but even so managed to get back ahead of Roberts by the finish. Fortuna Honda's Daijiro Kato had closed to within two seconds of the Suzuki by the finish on his NSR, after escaping from C:ivier Jacque's Gauloises Yamaha YZR. American rookie John Hopkins and his Red Bull Yamaha capped a strong qualifying performance and a second-row start by finishing 10th, his best so far. Jurgen van den Goorbergh was one of three unhappy victims of a first-lap "Jacque Attack," when the Frenchman tried to pass Antena 3 Yamaha's Norick Abe on the inside curb. Jacque survived, but Abe cannoned into Jacque's teammate Nakano, who ricocheted off into the Dutchman on the Kanemoto Honda. All three went down, with Nakano suffering a possible fracture in his foot, though Abe rejoined, pitted, and went back out to finish 16th and last. Marco Melandri gave his title hopes another boost in the earlier 250cc race, the MS Aprilia rider leading from start to finish for his tlllrd win of the season. An early challenge from points leader Fonsi Nieto and the Telefonica MoviStar Repsol Aprilia faded after half-distance with his tires, and at the finish factory Fortuna Honda rider Roberto Rolfo claimed second, narrowly ahead of Nieto and hard-charging Frenchman Randy de Puniet. Franco Battaini dropped away from that group in the closing stages for fifth. Australian teenager Casey Stoner was a superb sixth, pulling through steadily from 19th on the first lap to push ahead of the Yamahas of Matsudo and Yuzy, and the factory Honda of Emilio Alzamora, as well as fading fast-starter Toni Elias. "After five laps, I tried to push and I realized that Nieto had some problems,' said winner Melandri. "After half-distance, I was sure I could win.' Rolfo was happy with second after a slow start. "My bike was not so fast onto the straight, so it was difficult to move through," he said, after having to pass Nieto twice to stay ahead. The Spaniard explained his problems. "With 10 laps to go, my front tire was ruined, and I had to turn the bike with the rear - it was very difficult to race,' he said. The 125cc race was heartbreaking for home hero Dani Pedrosa and the n. _ fMt. _ _. ......... .... ......,.". R.f18l• ........ _ . . .aa,........ tf7J ....' Itli b7InII .... AaId'" ....... ....... .....,. . . I ..... IICtItcIr. . . . . . MIl AIdnt Telefonica MoviStar Honda team. After riding Ills heart out, and regaining the lead in the final section of the final lap, defending champion Manuel Poggiali and the Gilera got a better run out of the fmal comer and surged past over the finish line by 19 thousandths of a second. Pedrosa blamed "a little bit of lack of power' for this defeat, but Poggiali thought otherwise. "My engine is very very fast, but in sixth gear. I was also faster through the last corner, and there we are only in fourth gear.' German rider Steve Jenkner rode his Aprilia to third, with similarly mounted Lucchio Cecclllnello coming through from a mediocre start to win a fierce five-bike battle for fourth. MotoGP It was blazing hot for the final race of the day, and likewise the pace from the off. Ukawa got the jump and led the first lap, but Checa and Biaggi were right with him, and on the second lap, as they went over the hill for the first time, the Spaniard dived inside the Honda and made a good fist of stretching the quartet away from the rest of the field. Rossi, in fourth, didn't like what he was seeing, and at the start of the fifth lap he drafted Biaggi along the long straight and nipped past under braking for the first comer. Was this the beginning of the end? For Biaggi, yes - even last-minute fork adjustments on the start line hadn't made his spare bike match the feeling of his broken favorite. Up front, however, Checa was still in command, and though Rossi tried to make a few moves on Ukawa, setting a new record on the fifth lap, the Japanese rider wasn't haVing any of it, and kept closing the door until his teammate settled back for a spell. They went on the same way until half-distance, then, at the start of lap 13, Ukawa surged past the Yamaha with a better run onto the straight. Checa held off the brakes to get back ahead into the first right-left turn, then Ukawa had another go around the long right-hander over the hill. This time, he did get ahead, and led next time across the line. But Checa fought back again into turn one to regain the lead. The writing was on the wall, however. A little later around the same lap, Rossi passed Ukawa under braking, shadowed Checa for the rest of the tour, then pulled the tum-one move on the Yamaha. He was never headed. Checa's bolt was shot, and when Ukawa did the same to him on lap 17, he started to fade perceptibly. Ukawa kept on pushing Rossi, clearly holding tighter lines - but the defending champion had him covered, and crossed the line almost nine 10ths ahead. Checa was slowing a lot toward the end, while Biaggi had been lapping steadfastly throughout. He was still 3.9 seconds away at the finish. Behind them, all sorts of things had been going on, with Roberts holding fifth from Gibernau and Capirossi, until the Spaniard slipped cucle ahead on lap five. He said later that Roberts had been holding him up and kept slamming the door, but if this was the case he wasn't able to get away, and two laps later Roberts reversed the positions again. By now, Barros had caught up from behind, but the group was reduced to three again when Gibernau - somewhat maddened by his failure to dispose of Roberts - slipstreamed his fellow Suzuki rider down the straight and missed his braking point for the first corner, falling off unhurt. Roberts managed to withstand the pressure of Capirossi for only two more laps, later commenting on the still less-than-good "throttle connection' of the Suzuki. "This is a hot, slippery track, and the throttle connection will determine your finishing position,' he said later. "I'd thought I could finish fifth, but that was without taking Barros and Capirossi into account.' Barros was also ahead after one more lap, the speed of the Suzuki no The factory Suzukls battled for a while with Sete Gibemau 1151 leading Kenny Roberts Jr. 1101 and Loria Capiroa" 1651. Glbernau ended up crashing and Roberts finished seventh. n • _. • JUNE 2E!, 2002 19