World Championship Road Race Series
Round 12: Grand Prix ort=lio
slides into the comers, to the delight
of the 40,000 Brazilian fans.
His mother, Stefania, and his
young half-brother were on hand to
join the celebrations, as well as a
posse of pals from his home town of
Tavullia. After his race, dressed as
the victorious Brazilian football team,
they swarmed to the trackside with a
replica of the World Cup, for a typical
pantomime photo-shoot in celebration of Rossi's feat.
Rossi conquered difficult conditions over 24 laps of the notoriously
bumpy and slippery 3.05-mile Nelson
Piquet circuit at Jacarepagua, where
steady soaking rain came in time for
the big race after two dry days of
practice. He also conquered an onform Kenny Roberts Jr., who leapt
By MICHAEL SCOTT
& GOOSE
PHOTOS BY GOLD
RIO DE JANIERO, BRAZIL, SEPT. 21
he unstoppable Valentino Rossi
has done it again. With four races
to spare, the Italian not only won his
10th Grand Prix of the season in a
rain-soaked Rio GP in typical style,
combining skill, persistence and good
judgment with the usual dose of good
luck - he also tied up his second successive premier-class championship.
Winner of the last 500cc crown,
the 23-year-old Repsol Honda rider
has opened a new chapter of history
by winning the first MotoGP" fourstroke title as well.
After winning the 125 and 250cc
titles on the way up, his domination
now seems complete.
"Four World Championships is like
a dream," he said. "But I am still so
full of adrenaline after the difficult
race that I can't really think about it
yet. You'll have to ask me again in a
week."
Rossi made the win look relatively
easy - able to show off in the closing
laps with extravagant rear-wheel
T
(Left) The Man: Valentino Rossi won
his fourth World Championship when
he clinched the Inaugural MotoGP title
at the Grand Prix of Rio.
IBelow) Rossi {48) leads the way
through the spray In the rain-sodden
MotoGP. He's being chased by Garry
McCoy 18), Loris Caplrossl 165), Jurgen
van den Goobergh 117), Kenny Roberts
Jr. 110) and the rest of the pack.
A WET AND WILD AFFAIR. BUT YOU KNOW WHO WINS AGAIN
10
OCTOBER 2,
2002'
cue
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