IRTA Test
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Honda;l What Honda;l Ducali pulls a surprise out of Us hat
By MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOS BY GOLD £, GOOSE
ucati has arrived in Grand Prix
racing with a vengeance - and
there can be no foregon: conclusions
for the forthcoming MotoGP season.
This was very much the message
from the final European group test at
the Catalunya GP circuit of Montmelo.
After two days of testing, highlighted with a one-hour dash to win a
BMW car, Ducati emerged with not
only substantially the highest top
speed, well over the magic 200 mph,
but also with a lap time two seconds
inside the lap record.
The triumph went to Loris
Capirossi, on a mission to punish
Honda for dumping him at the end of
last season after denying him the
chance to race the four-stroke. A
mission that has so far been more
than successful.
A Honda did slot into second, but
it was not defending champion and
season favorite Valentino Rossi. Exteammate Tohru Ukawa set a time
almost two tenths slower than
Capirossi's 1 :43.634, pushing the
earlier fastest man Alex Barros and
his Gauloises Yamaha to third by half
a tenth.
With production Honda rider Sete
Gibernau fourth fastest - trying hard
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MARCH 26, 2003·
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