Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

He'd been caught and at mid-distance passed by Sebastian Porto, but the Argentine rider was also in trouble and dropped away himself to succumb to Naoki Matsudo's Yamaha at the finish. Earlier in the race West had been holding Matsudo at bay, but once the Japanese rider got past, he couldn't stay with him. "I shouldn't be racing him; I should be beating him," West grumbled. Joan Olive was a distant 10th, well clear of a lackluster field. Poggiali now has 88 points and stands to become the first Aprilia 250 rider to win the title in his first year in the class - neither Biaggi nor Rossi managed that. Rolfo has 69 points, overtaking Elias and his 68. Nieto moves up, with 61, and de Puniet has 56. Pedrosa and Cecchinello now share the points lead, with 91 apiece. Dovizioso has 67, Jenkner 60 and Perugini (seventh today) 54. eN Gran Premia Clnzana O'italia Mugella, Italy Results: June 8, 2003 (Raund 51 12S QOAUFYING: I. Casey Stoner (1:58.914); 2. Stefano Perugini (I :58.977); 3. Alex De Angelis (1.59.012); 4. Pablo N;eto (1:59.043); 5. Steve Jenkner (1 :59.115); 6. Lucio Cecchinello (I :59.143): 7. Andrea Dovizioso (1:59.251); 8. Youichi Ui (1 :59.406); 9. Gino Borsai (1 :59.433); 10. Daniel Pedrosa (1:59.608); 11. Arnaud Vincent (1:59.790): 12. Hector Barbera (1 :59.934); 13. Gioele Pellino (2:00.004); 14. Gabor Talmacs; (2:00.140); 15. Marco Simon celli (2:00.155); 16. Mirko Giansanti (2:00.303): 17. Simone Corsi (2:00.404); 18. Jorge Lorenzo (2:00.617); 19. Max Sabbatani (2:00.739); 20. Roberto Locatelli (2:00.949); 21. Thomas Luthi (2:00.970); 22. Masao Azuma (2:01.042); 23. Em;ljo Alzamora (2:01.236); 24. Mika KaU;o (2:01.334); 25. lmre Toth (2:01.377); 26. Michele Conti (2:01.443): 27. Andrea Bal1erini (2:01.575); 28. Mattia Angeloni (2:01.681); 29. Aless;o Aldrovand; (2:01.699); 30. Mike Di Meglio (2:01.815): 31. Robbin Harms (2:02.077); 32. Fab,;z;o Lai (2:02.482); 33. Michaele Pirro (2:02.728); 34. Julian Simone (2:03.129); 35. Alvaro Bautista (2:03.285); 36. Christopher Martin (2:04.082); 37. Leon Cam;e' (2:04.142); 38. Peter Lenart (2,05.490). 125 GRAND PRIX: 1. Lucio Cecchinello (Apr); 2. Daniel Pedrosa (Hon); 3. Pablo Nieto (Apr); 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Hon); 5. Alex De Angelis (Apr); 6. Youichi Ui (Apr); 7. Stefano Perugini (Apr); 8. Gino ~@[? @(J 1JJJD@ [fjJ@@WfiD@5 [%@fiDfiDW !XJ@~~ c!Jf?o There were two of them, acting in concert. The first rule of racing is that you don't take out your teammate. Kenny Roberts Jr. broke it at Mugello. The former World Champion has been having a horrible year, with an all-new Suzuki apparently suffering from too many electronics that they haven't quite got working properly yet (anyone with a new computer will understand). Earlier in the year he explained how he's had to sacrifice aggression and suffer poor results because of the bike's unpredictability going into the comers. This time he must have thrown caution to the wind, because he was charging from a lowly grid position, and on teammate John Hopkins' tail. And then slamming into it. Both crashed; Roberts fell under the wheels of his victim and suffered a serious beating up. The 2000 World Champion deserves better. But so does his so far more successful new teammate Hopkins. ~ ~ ...... ~.~ .·.·::·f.:.: 12SCC GRAND PRIX The tiddlers laid on a typical Mugel10 thriller. Stoner took off in the lead from pole, but on the second lap his team boss Cecchinello took over to head a gang that was still 10strong at half distance. There were a couple of challengers Borsoi (Apr): 9. Hector Barbera (Apr); 10. Gioele Pellino (Apr); II. Mirko Giansanti (Apr); 12. Simone Corsi (Hon): 13. Mika Kallio (Hon); 14. Masao Azuma (Hon); IS. Thomas Luthi (Hon); 16. Gabor Talmacsi (Apr); 17. Marco Simoncelli (Apr); 18. Casey Stoner (Apr); 19. Andrea Ballerini (Gil); 20. Roberto Locatelli (KTM); 21. Amaud Vincent (KTM); 22. Michele Conti (Han); 23. Max Sabbatani (Apr); 24. Mattia Angeloni (Hon); 25. Robbin Harms (Apr); 26. Alessio Aldrovandi (Mal); 27. Imre Toth (Hon); 28. Alvaro Bautista (Apr); 29. Michaele Pirro (Apr); 30. Leon Camier (Hon); 31. Peter Lenart (Hon). Time: 40 min., 1.738 sec. Distance: 65.03 miles. 20 laps Average speed: 97.486 mph M.argln of victory: .730 sec. Fastest lap: Gino Borsoi. lap 5, 1:58.969 125 GRAND PRIX C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 5 of 16 rounds): I. (TIE) Daniel Pedrosa (91/2 wins)/Lucio Cecchinello (91/2 wins); 3. Andrea Dovizioso (67); 4. Steve Jenkner (60); 5. Stefano Perugini (54/1 win); 6. Youichi Ui (51); 7. Pablo Nieto (47); 8. Alex De Angelis (37); 9. Mirko Giansanti (36); 10. Casey Stoner (29). 250 QUALIFYING: I. Randy De Puniet (I :53.586); 2. Manuel Po991ali (I :53.832); 3. Fonsi N;eto (I :54.676); 4. Fr.nco Battaini (I :54.984); 5. Ton; Elia, (I :55.369); 6. Roberto Rolfo (1 ,55.969); 7. Sebastian Porto (1:56.163); 8. Sylvain Guintoli (1,56.452); 9. Nook; Matsudo (I :56.585); 10. Erwan Nigon ("56.939); II. Joh.n SUgefelt ("57.112); 12. Joan Olive (1:57.117); 13. Anthony West (1:57.252); 14. Hector Faubel (1:57.352); 15. Alex Debon (1,57.6461; 16. Hugo Macchand (1:57.657); 17. Chaz for the lead, including Stefano Perugini, with Pablo Nieto actually holding it for more than a full lap, but Cecchinello was not to be denied and seized control again. There were still seven as they started the last lap, but two of them wouldn't make it. Stoner, who said later that his engine had lost a little power, was still there and putting together a good last lap with a chance of the rostrum, until Jenkner hit him from behind on the penultimate U-turn. Both crashed out. Cecchinello had enough of an advantage to win by seven tenths. Pedrosa's second showed once Davies (1:58.225); 18. Christian Gemmel (1:58.576); 19. Eric Batllille (I :58.582); 20. Alex Baldolini ("58.677); 21. Jakub Smrz (1:59.503); 22. Henk vd Lagemaat (2:01.161); 23. Christilln Pistoni (2:01.203). 2S0 GRAND PRIX: 1. Monuel Poggiali (Apr): 2. Fonsi Nieto (Apr); 3. Franco Battaini (Apr); 4. Roberto Rolfo (Hon); 5. Sylvain Guintoli (Apr); 6. Toni Elias (Apr); 7. Naoki Matsuda (Yam); 8. Sebastian Porto (Hon); 9. Anthony West (Apr); 10. Joen Olive (Apr); II. Hugo Marchand (Apr); 12. Alex Debon (Hon); 13. Chaz Davies (Apr); 14. Jakub Smrz (Hon); 15. Hector Faubel (Apr); 16. Christian Gemmel (Hon); 17. Erwan Nigon (Apr); 18. Henk vd Lagemaat (Hon); 19. Christian Pistoni (Apr). TIme: 38 min.. 40.038 sec. Distzlnce: 65.03 miles, 20 laps Average speed: 100.9 t mph Margin of victory: 22.445 sec. Fastest lap: Randy De Puniet, Lap 8. 1:54.994 250 GRAND PRIX C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 5 of 16 rounds): I. Manuel Poggiali (88/3 wins); 2. Roberto Rolfo (69); 3. Toni Elias (68/2 wins); 4. Fonsi Nieto (61); 5. Randy De Puniet (56); 6. Franco Battaini (48); 7. Sebastian Porto (44); 8. Naoki Matsudo (42); 9. Anthony West (37); 10. Sylvain Guintoli (34). MOTOGP QUALIFYING: 1, Valentino Rossi (I :51.927); 2. Lor;, Cap;ro,si (I :51.954); 3. Shinya Nakano (I :51.986); 4. Mox Biaggl (1,52.021); 5. Tohru Ukawa (1:52.027); 6. Sete Gibernau (I :52.153); 7. Cado, Checa (I :52.290); 8. Olivier Jacque (1 '52.333); 9. Alex Barros (I :52.439); 10. Makolo Tamada (1:52.513); 11. Troy Bllyliss (1 :52.644); 12. Marco Melandri (I :52.687); 13. Colin Edwards (1:52.767): 14. John Hopkins (1:52.969): 15. Alex !-fofmann (I :53.146); 16. Noriyuki Haga (1:53.149); 17. Nicky Hayden (1:53.190); 18. Kenny Roberts Jr. (1:53.399); 19. Jeremy McWilliams (1 :53.813); 20. Garry McCoy (1 :54.052); 21. Andrew P;u (1:54.345); 22. Ryuichi Kiyonar; (1:55.315); 23. Nobuatsu Aoki (I :56.394). MOTOOP: I. Valentino Rossi (Hon): 2. Loris Capirossi (Due); 3. Max Biaggi (Hon); 4. Makoto Tamada (Han); 5. Shinya Nakano (Yam); 6. Tohru Ukawa (Han); 7. Sete Gibernau (Hon); 8. Carlos Checa (Yam); 9. Colin Edwards (Apr); 10. Olivier Jacque (Yam); 11. Marco Melandri (Yam); 12. Nicky Hayden (Hon); 13. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hon); 14. Alex Hofmann (Kaw): 15. Garry McCoy (Kaw); 16. Andrew Pitt (Kaw). Time: 43 min., 28.008 sec. Distance: 65.03 miles, 74.793. 23 laps Average speed: 103.24 mph Margin of victory: 1.416 sec. Fastest lap: Loris Capirossi. lap 20. 1:52.623 MOTOGP C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 5 of 16 rounds): I. Valentino Rossi (1"15/3 wins): 2. Max Biaggi (83): 3. Sete Gibernau (72/2 wins); 4. Alex Barros (46); 5. Tohru UkaWll (42); 6. Troy Bayliss (40); 7. Loris Capirossi (36); 8. Shinya Nakano (33); 9. Olivier Jacque (32); 10. Nicky Hayden (26); 11. (TIE) Makoto Tamada (25)/Colin Edwards (25); 13. Carlos Checa (21): 14. Norick Abe (18); 15. Noriyuki Haga (17). Upcoming rounds: Round 6: Catalunya, Spain, June 15 Round 7: Assen, Netherlands, June 28 again an old head on young shoulders - he'd been struggling all weekend and had crashed heavily in morning warm-up. Nieto was inches behind in third, with Andrea In the 125cc class it was Lucio Cecchinello (41 taking the win over eventual fourth place finisher Andrea Dovizioso (341. and Pablo Nieto (22) in third. Dovizioso a very close fourth, and Alex de Angelis losing touch in the closing stages. eye I e ne""s JUNE 18,2003 35

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