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
I World Championship Road Race Series Round 1 1: Portuguese G road race nd Prix Almost doesn't count, but Sete Gibernau almost won the Grand Prix of Portugal MoviStar Suzuki rider Sete Gibemau. Riding like a man possessed, Gibernau seized the lead on the third of 28 laps of the sodden 2.59-mile Estoril circuit, stretched a gap of almost six seconds before half-distance, and then stayed in control as Rossi moved to second and started to push hard. Gibernau responded to his every move, and with four laps left still had more than 3.5 seconds in hand. Then his brand-new slipper clutch - new this weekend, and still not fully tested and set to perfection - caught him out. The rear wheel locked as he was going into one of the track's many slow corners, and he was flicked violently over the highside. Although By MICHAEL SCOTT PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE ESTORll, PORTUGAL, SEPT. 8 m he rain made fools of heroes in .L Portugal. It broke motorcycles and hearts. But in the end, the result was just like it usually is in the dry. Valentino Rossi's luck saw him through to a third gift-wrapped, though still well-earned, win of the season, his ninth in 11 races. And his relentless march toward the first fourstroke MotoGP Championship moved another big step forward. The Repsol Honda rider's win, in front of 36,000 damp spectators at the circuit outside the capital Usbon, came at the expense of Telefonica 8 SEPTEMBER 18. 2002' I: U a n I • _ _ IS escaping without serious injury, his bid for glory had ended in the gravel. "I'm not sure if I could have caught Sete," Rossi admitted. "I think not. I had to be very careful, as it is very easy to make a small error and pay a big price in these conditions. Sete did. I feel sorry for him. But I'm happy because two years ago at this track some people thought I could not ride in the rain. There have been two wet races this year, and I won both. Very satisfying." He now leads the championship by 89 points over teammate Tohru Dkawa, -and if he can gain just 12 more points over the Japanese rider at the next race in Brazil, he will have won the title with four races to spare. (Above) Sete Glbemau (HI) looked to be on his W8'I to victory In the ralnsodden Grand Prix of Portugal. The Spaniard started quickly and was able to pull away from the likes of Valentino Rossi (48) and Kenny Roberts Jr. (10). Then It all went horribly wrong for Glbemau and he crashed, handing victory to Rossi. Second went to pole starter Carlos Checa and his Marlboro Yamaha, after a stolid ride through from a poor start. In the last half of the race, he had his hands full fending off Ukawa's Honda, but was two seconds clear over the line. "I had a lot of wheelspin in the first three gears off the line, and it wasn't