Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Marco Melandri (33) showed a retum to form after suffering a broken leg in the opening round of the series in Japan. Here the Italian leads Max Blaggl (3) and Loris Capiro. .' (65). than Jerez, no. I prefer to have a race like this with a battle, but I arrive in front, maybe the next time." Despite finishing second, Rossi extended his championship lead over Camel Pramac Honda's Max Biaggi, fifth today, to 23 points, 90-67, after four rounds. This was Barros' first podium and his best finish since injuring his knee at Suzuka. "For me I'm quite happy," Barros said. "It's the first time for me this year I've been in the front after my accident." Fourth, another season's best finish, went to the Gauloises Yamaha of Olivier Jacque, earned despite startone pass a few turns from the end, "In the second heat we have very only to run wide and lose the spot, with another feint in the final corner. much problem in the wet," Rossi said. Again Rossi ran wide and into the "Because I don't know why, compared to yesterday it was not possible gravel, with Gibernau up on the paint- to open the throttle. If you see from ed curb to start his run to victory. "We could maybe stay here until next year to talk about this race," Gibernau said. "It was an awesome television on the wet part of the track, I lost very much in acceleration. But race. First of all I want to say that both Alex [Barros] and Valentino where it was more dry, so I think in the last lap is possible, but is not possible. I arrive a little bit too wide, and I arrive second. [Rossi] could have won this race, as I did. It was my day today, but I think the three of us rode a great race in very difficult conditions." Rossi had the right tires but didn't have the grip. I'm more fast than Sete [Gibernau] and Alex [Barros] in the last [part] "Anyway, is not bad for the points and for the championship, and for sure is very good for the show. A race like this for sure is very funny, better It was a tale of two seasons. Friday's qualifying was warm and sunny; Satur· day's was cold and rainy. With the moming's hour practice. each day provided the teams with two hours of distinctive practice conditions to prepare for Sunday's race. Rain Saturday meant the times on Friday would determine the grid. There was consensus, though not unanimity, among the riders which condition they preferred. "Is incredible this track under this condition," World Champion Valentino Rossi said after eaming the pole with his lap from Friday aftemoon's dry qualifying session. "Has no grip. We make two or three races last year under the rain also have wet practice in Suzuka this year. But we are able to slide on the asphalt. Here, you need to go very, very slow, and every time you open the throttle, the bike spin. This surface has no grip." Rossi was fastest in the dry and second fastest in the wet. The surprise fast wet-runner was Proton Team KR's Jeremy McWilliams, the veteran Ulstennan using the Proton KR-3 two-stroke triple on Bridgestone tires to cut a lap nearly a second faster than Rossi. But Rossi wasn't convinced he could maintain the pace for race distance. "McWilliams is always very fast for the rain," Rossi said, before adding: "Usually he is not very constant. It McWiUiams also thrashed the brand· new V·5 990cc four-stroke with an eye toward becoming the first rider ever to set fast time on two different machines in the same session. "I'll be praying for rain tomorrow," McWilliams said. Gauloises Yamaha's Alex Barros found his way onto the front row for the first time this year. The Brazilian's problem this year has been a nagging knee injury. He's recently sought the care of a Brazilian doctor who works with the country's top soccer players, and his knee has improved. "I have very fast recovery in the first months, but he say now, next two months, he go step by step, a little bit slower: Barros said. "I think I can be competitive in dry. In the wet condition today it's got a little bit more problem this morning and change a little bit this machine. Improve in the aftemoon, but I not try any back tire. I make 36 laps on the back tire, and when I finish it the back is very old." Marlboro Ducati's Loris Capirossi was third fastest, though his Ducati, with its IJghtning horsepower curve, was more than a handful in the wet, Capirossi was also suffering from a stomach bug that had landed him in the hospital on the Tuesday prior to the race weekend. "For me today is not a very great day: Capirossi said, "We start this morning to change many setting because we don't have a lot of feeling, but for the aftemoon I have a little bit more feeling to ride the bike. But I don't have grip. My bike is spinning a lot. But for sure we are looking in the telemetry to try to fIX this problem for when we have the same condition tomorrow. We have some idea for tomorrow, and we try to do this, but for sure I hope we have dry conditions, because I'm sure it's much better for all riders, for the people in the race." Just seven weeks after breaking his leg during practice for the season-opener at Suzuka, Fortuna Yamaha's Marco Melandri was on the front row in his second race. "I'm really surprised to be here because only two weeks ago my body conditions was not so good. and I was in the fourth row [at the Spanish GP at Jerez]: Melandri said. "To come here, this is good track for Yamaha. My body condition is a lot better than Jerez." Melandri said he was physically fit to do one lap, but the problem wouid be going race distance. "I think for make only one lap, it should be the same as if I was] 00 percent, but I think my problem will be to do all 28 laps, make all the race will be my biggest problem," he said. His was the final word among the front-row qualifiers on the weather. "I'm so sad it will be raining tomorrow," he said. "Because today was my second time I was riding my MJ on the wet conditions. Try to get some good feeling with the tires. I take very I was very careful today." cue I e n e _ 50 • JUNE 4,2003 21

• Cover