World Championship Road Race Series
Round 10: Czech Grand Prix
Finally, Mu liaggi gives Yamaha a MatalP victary
(Above) At the start, it was Max Biaggi (3) getting
a great launch from pole position, with Loris
Capirossi (65), Carlos Checa (7), Valentino Rossi
(46), and the rest of the pack giving chase.
(Below) After watching Honda and Rossi totally
dominate the series since the introduction of the
new four-stroke MotoGP bikes, Blaggl and
Yamaha finally got the monkey off their back with
a victory.
By
MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOS BY GOLD £, GOOSE
BRNO, CZECH REPUBUC, AUG. 25
tft) evenge, they say, is a dish best
W eaten cold. Max Biaggi had to
wait a full year before he could
avenge his humiliating defeat by
Valentino Rossi at Brno last yea r.
This time, he tore a strip off his rival.
Literally.
Last year, Biaggi had qualified on
pole at a favorite circuit and led for
most of the race. Then, when Rossi
started to lean on him, Biaggi made a
slip and fell off, handing victory to his
Honda rival, who went on to win the
championship, not to mention almost
every race since then.
The same scenario this year, albeit
on the new four-strokes. Blaggi put
the Ml Marlboro Yamaha on pole and
seemed to have control of the race.
Then Rossi started to push. Biaggi
responded, Rossi kept chasing. And
then, suddenly, Rossi slowed, ran
wide, and cruised to the pits. It left
Biaggi to take a start-to-finish victory, leading from the first corner to the
flag.
No mistake on Rossi's part, to be
fair, it was the Repsol Honda's rear
Michelin that failed, losing the center
strip and smashing the carbon-fiber
"hugger" fender. But the result was
the same - victory for Max Biaggi, in
14
SEPTEMBER 4, 2002'
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