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/128229
World Championship Road Race Series Round 10: Czech Republic Grand Prix "We arrive with a problem the last two laps to finish, the tire, but I'm happy for the second place - no problem," Perugini added. Four riders fought over third, Hector Barbera, Andrea Dovizioso, Mika Kallio and Alex de Angelis, the pole sitter, who recovered from when his engine went dead while he was leading on the eighth of 19 laps, dropping him to 13th. De Angelis caught the pack up on the 17th lap and jumped from sixth to third with two laps to go, securing the podium. "I don't really know what happened to the bike when I was leading the race; suddenly it stopped, and suddenly it started again," de Angelis said. "I didn't celebrate third position because I didn't know, so I concentrated on third position." Fourth, 6.5 seconds back, was a jubilant but embattled Mika Kallio, the Finn giving the KTM-Red Bull 125 its best finishing position by four spots. Kallio is the object of possible legal action between hjs former team, Ajo Motorsports, and KTM. MOTOGP Bayliss got the jump on Rossi, with Biaggi an early third in front of Gibernau, Capirossi, Checa and Hayden, the order they finished the first lap. Capirossi went by Gibernau early on the second lap, the Spaniard taking it right back, the lead seven starting to get away. On the third lap Capirossi tried the same move, and again it worked, but Gibernau was just 'as determined in defense, holding on to fourth to maintain the order of the top seven. By lap three the top five had made the slightest break on Checa and Hayden, with Ukawa just back in front of Barros, but the gap wouldn't grow, and the pair was close enough to move in when the chance arose. Aprllia's Colin Edwards (45) had a tough clay, the Texan battling with handling problems once his fuel load changed throughout the race. He ended up 12th behind Marco Melandri (33) and Olivier Jacques (19), came by - too aggressively, it'd turn out as he fell to fourth behind Gibernau. There were t)Wo groups at the front on the fifth lap, the top four led by Bayliss, with Capirossi in front of Checa and Hayden, the whole pack covered by 1.772 seconds. But Rossi took the lead early on lap 10, Bayliss taking it back a corner later, the top five well clear of Checa and Hayden by now. Bayliss ran wide on the 11 th lap, Rossi sneaking under for a second before Bayliss took it back only to give it up again. A few corners later and Gibernau was in front of Bayliss, with Rossi stretching his advantage so that at the halfway mark it was .573 of a second on Gibernau, then Capirossi soon joined the front runners, and it was five then two again. Ending the sixth lap, Checa and Hayden fell .8 of a second behind the front five, with the lead order changing briefly when Capirossi passed Biaggi, only to give it right back. Bayliss, Biaggi and Capirossi, followed by Checa and Hayden. "I found myself in the lead for I guess 10-12 laps and felt quite comfortable, and I didn't push over the top," Bayliss said. "I just rode a fast comfortable pace and waited for the Starting the fourth lap, Rossi made his move then ran wide, two riders by at first with Rossi back into second for a corner or two before Biaggi guys to corne past. I knew they were going to come past somewhere. And when they did, I was surprised they didn't really have much more left in them - they were nearly at their limit already, so I have to believe in what I can do, and I should've just kept pushing away at the front." On the 12th lap Hayden made a little mistake, and Checa gained a few tenths, now with a lead of over a second. "I was behind [Carlos] Checa for pretty much the whole race," Hayden said. "It was all I had. I was on the edge just to hold .on. After the first three or four laps, once things settled in and the load came down and I didn't have anything on him to pass Checa and work my way up. I was just trying to hang on. n Gibernau took the lead starting the 13th lap, Rossi contemplating a move on the inside before thinking better of it. Biaggi began to drop back on lap 13, falling to sixth behind Checa, where he'd finish. "I did not enjoy riding, and this has been a terrible race because I know I can go much faster at this track," said Biaggi, who has won here seven times on five different machines. "At one state I nearly fell, and I jolted the handlebar with my left hand, which miraculously readdressed the bike, but by that time I had been overtaken by [Carlos] Checa." Rossi took the lead again on the 15th lap with an ill-fated move, the World Champion running wide finishing the corner and getting dropped back to fourth behind Gibernau, Bayliss and Capirossi.