Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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World Championship Road Race Series Final Round: Valencia Grand Prix The inaugural MotoGP season comes to an end with Barros out front By HENNY RAY ABRAMS PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE VALENCIA, SPAIN, NOV. 3 nnnder extreme pressure from Rep- ~ sol Honda's Valentino Rossi, West Honda Pons' Alex Barros kept his cool to win the final race of the inaugural MotoGP season before 119,886 sun-drenched fans in the GP Marlboro Comunitat Valencia on the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain. "It's the best possible race for me, for the team, after four years," said Barros, who is expected to leave the team after this race. "I want to give my best possible result for the team." Barros was stalked by Rossi almost from the start, passing him the first time on the 17th of 30 laps. Barros struck back in turn one and led to the end, despite a furious lastlap charge from Rossi. Barros made a mistake entering turn one, caught out with engine braking, and was in a precarious position. Rossi tried him in the next corner, with Barros diving in hard on the brakes, guarding the inside line and winning by .230 of a second. 6 NOVEMBER 13,2002' cue • "Today Alex was faster than me," Rossi said. "I try 100 percent, but the only chance I have is if he makes a mistake, and I am not able to attack him." Barros did make a little mistake, entering turn one on the final lap, but Rossi wasn't able to capitalize. Marlboro Yamaha's Max Biaggi finished a lonely third in his last race for the team, with Fortuna Honda Gresini's Daijiro Kato an equally lonely fourth with traction problems. Still, the Japanese rider clinched Rookie of the Year honors. "I have not so good rhythm," Biaggi said. "Even in the morning, I couldn't explain why I can't go fast." What was important to the Italian was finishing second in the World Championship, which he did. Rossi ends the season with 355 points, 140 more than Biaggi, with Ukawa third at 209. "My objective was to try to finish second in World Championship," Biaggi said. "I'm happy. A good result for me if you look where we started in the season. We are second best. ' Fifth went to Repsol Honda's Tohru Ukawa, followed at some disn • _ s e tance by Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3's Shinya Nakano, who was under pressure to perform to keep his job. The four-rider fight for eighth went to Team Kanemoto's Jurgen van den Goorbergh - the first two-stroke, who got by Proton KR's Jeremy McWilliams two laps from the end. Gauloises Tech 3 Yamaha's Olivier Jacque and Antena 3 Yamaha D'Antin's Norick Abe were next across. John Hopkins finished 11 th with withering tires for Red Bull Yamaha WCM. It was only the latest struggle he's had with the Dunlops, which have not kept up in the second half of the season. "I was basically struggling with edge grip," he said. Hopkins is expected to make a team change, very likely to Suzuki, in the near future. His other option is to stay with the WCM team, which has him under contract for the 2003 season. The Kawasaki got its first MotoGP points when Australian Andrew Pitt finished 12th. It was the team's third finish, but first points, and it provided a boost to the nascent team. The battle for victory in the final race of the year went down to the wire, with Alex Barros (In front) beating Valentino Rossi (46) by .230 of a second. "That's the first small success," team manager Harald Eckl said. "The new season starts for us right now, with our tests on Tuesday. It definitely was the right decision to take on the challenge of these first races, rather than test by ourselves, secluded from our competitors." In his last race in the Telefonica MoviStar colors, Suzuki's Kenny Roberts Jr. didn't finish. The former World Champion was closing on Nakano midrace, then began to lose ground, falling further out of touch as the race went on when his tires went off. Roberts then came under attack from West Honda Pons' Loris Capirossi, the Italian making the pass on the 19th lap, only to crash several turns later. Roberts was running in seventh when he retired on the 25th lap with engine trouble. "I started to catch Nakano back at nearly half a second a lap, and I was getting a taste of catching him and