Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128222
Points leader MS Aprilia's Manuel Poggiali was content with fourth, after most of his title rivals had problems. Fortuna Honda's Roberto Rolfo was sixth; Repsol Honda's Fonsi Nieto retired after his chain jumped the sprocket, his teammate Toni Elias was strangely off form in 13th, and Catalunya winner Randy de Puniet crashed out in the early stages on an Aprilia. Stevie Jenkner achieved a dream first GP win at Assen, leading from start to finish on a stream of a track after heavy rain began shortly before the delayed 125cc race. The German Aprilia rider has come close in the past; this time his closest challenger was Casey Stoner in the early laps, until the Australian teenager crashed out again after touching a white line. From then on, Jenkner was majestically alone. Aprilia's Pablo Nieto came through from a poor start to chase after the leader but was never closer than 10 seconds; 16-year-old Hector Barbera was a career-best third. MOTOGP The rain had stopped by the time of the final race, and although more dark clouds were massing on the horizon, it was declared a "Dry Race," meaning it would have to be stopped if the rain fell. It did so while they were still on the warm-up lap, the race was "neutralized," and they all went back to the pits to change to wet tires. Lucky for Capirossi, who had pitted for a tire change but lingered too long to make the warm-up. He would have had to start from Pit Lane. Half an hour later, he was back on pole position. It was raining heavily, and the pack disappeared in a cloud of spray as Rossi and Biaggi led away, only for Gibernau to slip inside into the first corner. By the end of that lap Rossi was back to fourth behind Jacque, his softer tires working well in the heavy going. Bayliss was leaning on Ross, Barros and Edwards close behind. Biaggi reclaimed the lead for a couple of laps, Gibernau almost crashing with one attempt at reversing the order. Close behind, Rossi disposed of Jacque. quite quickly, and Bayliss did the same. The Ducati rider took three laps to get past Rossi and seemed set to move ahead to close up what was now a two-second gap to the leaders. Instead, he crashed. "I was trying to fix the quick shifter, turning it on and off on the dash, and I got into turn one too deep and crashed," Bayliss said. "I'd been having to change gear manually, the first time I've had to do that for years. It was a pity. Everything else was going pretty good in the wet." He scrambled back, re-joined in 16th place and was immediately climbing through the lesser racers at the rear. The next shift up front came at the end of lap nine, when Gibernau managed to dive inside McCoy's Kawasaki at the final chicane while Max was stuck behind. The gap opened up to almost a second directly, and more back marker action added another second the following lap. Biaggi's challenge was spent, his soft rear tire skipping and spinning on the drying track. But he did have enough in hand to fend off archrival Rossi, although the Honda closed impressively in the closing laps. By half distance, there was quite a brawl for fourth. Jacque still held the position, but Haga had come charging up, passing teammate Edwards in the process, with both of them passing Barros at the same time, the Brazilian in tire trouble as Checa also came by. A little way back, Capirossi was gaining comfort and hence pace on the Ducati. Haga got to the front of this group on lap 13, Checa with him, and Capirossi just behind Jacque Edwards was now losing touch, his bike setup not good for the wet, and his vision problems getting worse. Haga's run was to come to an end with two laps left, after Checa dived past. He spattered the Japanese rider's visor with mud, and as he Wiped it clean, he lost the front and crashed. Checa got fourth, Jacque hung on in for fifth, with Capirossi close at hand in sixth, Edwards and then Barros trailing in. There was a huge gap to Bayliss, whose last victim had been Hofmann's wild card Kawasaki. Hofmann was having a strong race, managing to stay clear of Hayden's Honda, the American champion Wide-eyed at racing in such atrocious conditions. He had started from the back of the grid after swapping bikes after the sighting lap. "It was unbelievably hard to see," . Hayden said. "I've never raced where it was that hard, and it wasn't cool." He jetted off from Holland to Japan, for the Suzuka 8-Hour practice before returning to Donington. "Gonna be busy," he said. The rookie had the satisfaction of beating Ukawa after a long battle, the Japanese rider baffled by his poor form. He was three seconds back and under severe threat from Nakano's Yamaha, recovering from a bad start and slow early laps. Ukawa had also almost succumbed to Kagayama's Suzuki, but the latter was foxed by (Right) Gibemau (15) and Blaggi (hidden) didn't waste much time In pulling away from Rossi (46). Those two battled In the rain until Gibemau was able to get away when the pair hit lapped traffic. ence of wayward electronics. Earlier, 250cc Abruzzo Aprilia rider Anthony West claimed an historic first GP win, the first by an Australian rider since Gregg Hansford 25 years ago. Rain master West, who was unemployed last year, resumed his interrupted career back in the 250cc class and claimed a careerfirst rostrum third at the last round in Catalunya. "I'm pleased to win in the wet, but I'd have preferred a dry race," West said. "Even if I didn't win, another rostrum in the dry would prove that I didn't just fluke it last week." Aprilia's Franco Battaini was second, his challenge coming to nothing after he lost a knee slider with six laps to go; his teammate Sylvain Guintoli was a career-best third. cycle ne1lVs