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/128172
World Championship Road Race Series Round 1 1: Portuguese Grand Prix (Left) Hopkins qualified 15th in the dry on a weekend when the two-stroke Yamaha VZR500s seemed to struggle. (Right) Rossi didn't earn poie position, but he was on the front row as always. run, 215 to Nieto's 183. Rolfo has 140, Porto 110 and Elias 105. two riders on the same lap, with Jara, Nigon and Toni Elias making up the balance of 13 finishers - Elias was three laps down, after falling off no less than three times, and getting back on again. Casey Stoner retired, disappointed at choosing discretion after fighting a losing battle against the conditions. The list of crash victims was almost longer than that of finishers, including also Debon, Yuzy (twice), Nigon and Bataille, as well as those already mentioned. Melandri still has a handy lead in spite of breaking his six-race victory 125cc GRAND PRIX The morning deluge had stopped in time for the race, but the track was still wet and nobody could say the rain was over. Poggiali fell on the sighting lap, but made it back to the pits to switch to his spare bike, losing his front· row position to start from the back of the grid. Hungarian Gabor Talmacsi led away, but by lap two Vincent was ahead, and Jenkner with them, while Sanna was sixth. The crashes had already begun - Olive the first to go, to continue all race long, with consequently confusing progress among those who remounted, sometimes only to crash again (Nobbie Ueda Jay Vincent (12) was having the race of his life, moving into third place in the 25Gec Grand Prix, before crashing in the treacherous conditions. actually fell twice on the same lap before retiring). Early victims included de Angelis, who rejoined only to fall again, Ui, and Cecchinello, from a front position, rejoining at the back, Giansanti, Fabrizio, Angeloni, Ballerini, Perugini, Borsoi, and others too numberous to mention as the list grew longer and longer, finishing with 20 riders making 27 crashes. Vincent was steadfast up front, even gaining a second lead after six laps, only for Jenkner to close down again as Sanna moved quickly into third on lap five, passing Talmacsi shortly before he also fell. By half-distance, these three were in close company; with two laps to go, Sanna started to attack, upsetting matters all around. He dived past Jenkner, who ran wide and hit a puddle, narrowly surviving to run across the gravel and rejoin still in third, but out of touch. Then came Sanna's attack on Vincent on the last lap, spoiled when he risked taking the last corner in fourth gear instead of the usual third. He was lucky to stay on. Vincent said later: "I always knew there was a possibility I might not win, so I accepted it when Sanna passed me. Then he gave it back again. " Pablo Nieto was a distant fourth, 10 seconds ahead of Masao Azuma, who played it safe and reaped the benefit. Cecchinello pulled through to sixth again, with Borsoi four seconds adrift, then Mika Kallio, another to fall and get going again. Dani Pedrosa did the same thing after losing ground throughout after starting from pole, but finished 10th all the same. Welsh schoolboy Chaz Davies was four seconds behind him in 11 th, the last rider on the same lap, and opening his points score. There were just 14 finishers. eN S..nd Prix of Portugal EstDrll, Portugal hults: september 8, 2003 125 QOAUFYING: 1. Daniel Pedrosa (1:46.664); 2. Mllnuel Poggiali (1:46.872); 3. Youichi UI (1:47.113); 4. Steve Jenkner (1047.113); 5. Mlka Kallio (1:47.320): 6. Simone Sanna (1:47.373): Mirko Giansentl (1 :47.502): 8. Lucio Cecchinello (1:47.510); 9. Arnaud Vincent (1:47.562); 10. Alex De Angelis (1 :47.566); 11. Gebor Talmacsi (1:47.573); 12. Joan Olive (1:47.794): 13. Stefano aianco (1:47.962); 14. Hector aarbera (1 :48.055); 15. Gino Borsai (1 :48.220); 16. Noboru Uedll (1:48.242); 17. Andrea aallerini (1:48.408); 18. Andree Dovizioso 1:48.452); 19. Michel Fi!Sbrizlo (I :48.4,57); 20. Mllsao Azuma (1 :48.492); 21. Pablo - Nieto (1:48.527); 22. Klaus Nohles (1:48.571); 23. M8ttie Angeloni (1 :48.746); 24. Max Sebbatani (1:48.866); 25. Jorge Lorenzo (1:48.873); 26. Alex aaldol!n! (1:48.919): 27. Julian Simone (1:49.036); !1fJtfJfiD @(/ UW@ !1fJ@@1]!JfiD@ @@@@ @!JD )J'@[l @@li@ Sete Gibernau may have gone home in pain, with zero points - but he was a hero nonetheless. He had been battling all weekend with the new Suzuki slipper clutch, but pushing on in his eagemess to get the youngest Japanese bike to take the next step to catch up with the others. He decided to risk everything in the race, and paid a high price. But he had been magnificent nonetheless. "Me and my team have been working all year to overcome our problems. I know Suzuki have as well, and I think I've proved that I am prepared to give everything I can," he said. "I had trouble all race long with the clutch, and it was getting worse . perhaps because of all the water. I could have taken it easy and probably finished on the rostrum. But I wanted to win." Gibernau is the grandson of Don Paco Bulto, founder of the now defunct Bultaco motorcycle manufacturing company. That makes him a senior member of Spain's motorcycling hierarchy no matter what he does. He has had a rollercoaster career, lucking in to factory rides with Yamaha and Honda, in the latter case firstly replacing the injured Takuma Aoki at the last minute, and then Mick Doohan. One way or another, they have all gone sour. "I race to prove to myself that I can do it," he says. "I don't much like talking about it. I want the results to speak for me." Victory at last year's Valencia GP was one such statement... but his efforts at Estoril were even more valiant, even though they ended up in the gravel. 12 SEPTEMBER 18,2002' DUD I e n __ s