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World Championship Road Race Series Round 14: Malaysian Grand Prix he should stay in second place. And that's what he did. Rolfo closed slightly, but was never closer than 1.5 seconds, and 2.5 at the finish. There was a good battle for fourth, some way in arrears, with Porto on the home-sponsored Petronas Yamaha getting the crowd excited as he fended off de Puniet and Battaini, with Matsudo hanging on behind for a while. He'd gone by half-distance, when Battaini was in front, and this trio circulated inches apart, starting the last lap with de Puniet in front, Porto behind. The Rio winner had a plan, however, and dived past both of them in one corner to secure fourth narrowly, with Battaini fifth, then de Puniet. Matsudo was seventh, narrowly ahead of the next duel between Emilio Alzamora's factory Honda and home hero Shahrol Yuzy. Yuzy had started well and seemed safe as Alzamora battled back and forth with David Checa's private Aprilia. But then the Honda rider escaped and closed gradually, slipping ahead with three laps to go. Yuzy fought back, but the power advantage told in the end, and Alzamora was two tenths ahead over the line. Then came Checa, followed by Casey Stoner after another of his trademark rides through the mid-field on his Aprilia. Stoner had finished the first lap 20th, but he was soon picking them off lap by lap, and by halfdistance he was up to 12th. Then he despatched Haru Aoki's semi-works Honda to finish well clear in 11 tho Fast-starting Roberto Locatelli dropped back to become one of Stoner's victims and then get into a big battle with the on-form Jay Vincent'li production Honda - the Briton had been higher and trading blows with Alzamora earlier on. At the fin- .....,..~u'llD ish, Locatelli had prevailed, and Vincent was 14th, three seconds adrift. Jara Hules and his Yamaha took the last point. Melandri's title lead was all but halved by his problem - 248, with earlier leader Nieto back in a challenging position on 221 points. Rolfo has 186, then Elias 161, Porto 156 and Battaini 124. 125cc GRAND PRIX Pedrosa led away, but Vincent was in front by the time they were halfway around the first lap, and he held first place under the most severe pressure right up until the 11th, when a small slide on one of the tighter corners dropped him to fourth in what was still a six-strong leading group. Cecchinello took the benefit, but Pedrosa dived inside into the final hairpin to cross the line ahead, only PRIX for Cecchinello to take it back the next time around. By now, Vincent, displaying the latest late braking imaginable, was up to second, and a lap later regained the lead he held to the end. Steve Jenkner and Pablo Nieto (both Aprilia) had lost touch in the closing laps, but the other four were right together, and trading blows constantly - Poggiali taking sweeping lines, then almost colliding with Pedrosa and running wide in a tight corner to lose almost half-a-second as they started the last lap. He soon took it back, but Pedrosa was the man on the move, slipping inside Cecchinello before the final straight, then pushing Vincent into the final hairpin. He finished just three tenths adrift, with Cecchinello another six tenths behind. Poggiali was also trying to pass the Arnaud Vincent (21) won his fifth 125cc race of the year In Malaysia. Fonsl Nieto (center) won the 250cc Grand PrIx with a little help from his teammate Toni Ellas (lettl. Italian, but left his braking too late and lost the front on the way into the hairpin. This left fourth to the now-distant Nieto, with Jenkner fifth. Until the surprise decision to take results from one lap back, shuffling Cecchinello to second, Pedrosa to third, giving Poggiali fourth, Nieto fifth and Jenkner sixth. A little ways back, another gang had been battling, with Finn Mikka Kallio taking control from rookie Hector Barbera with three laps to go, finishing inches ahead of the Aprilia rider, with Masao Azuma dropping away by more than a second at the end. Then came the widely spaced Alex de Angelis and Simone Sanna (both Aprilia) after losing touch with the group, with Youichi Ui's Derbi a lone 12th, never in touch with the action. Australian wild card teenager Josh Waters crashed out while miles behind after qualifying 34th and last in his first GP. Perugini, Fabrizio, Bianco, Sabbatani and Ballerini also crashed out. With two rounds left, Vincent's win was a handy revival to his recently damaged title chances. He now has 240 points to Poggiali's 220. Pedrosa has 207, with Cecchinello on 152 and Jenkner148. eN Meleysian &.. nd Pltl Sspeng Cin:ult Results: October, 13, 2002 125(( QUALIFYING: 1. Arnaud Vincent (2: 13.563): 2. Monuel Poggloli (2: 13.998); 3. Donlel Pedroso (2:14.075); 4. Steve Jenkner (2:14.110); 5. Hector Borbero (2:14.381); 6. Youlchl UI (2:14.638): 7. Lucio Cecchinello (2:14.690); 8. Mex Sabbeumi (2:14.711): 9. Mosoo Azumo (2:14.717): 10. Poblo Nieto (2:14.736); II. Kious Nohle. (2:14.977); 12. Stefeno Bianco (2: 15.250); 13. Andrea Ballerlnl (2:15.281): 14. Miko Koilio (2:15.320); 15. Mirko Gionsonti (2:15.350): 16. Joen Olive (2:15.364); 17. Andrea Dovizio50 (2: 15.427); 18. Mattia Angeloni 14 OCTOBER 23, 2002' cue • • n • _ !IS