Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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15t h lap o f the race; d'Antin Ducati's Neil Hodgson, o ut on the same lap with mechanical trouble; and his teammate Ruben Xaus, also a victim of mechanical problems, his coming on the fifth lap. Telefonica MoviSta r Honda 250's Dani Pedrosa became the youngest-ever w inner of a 250cc race in his class debut, but Safilo Carrera -LCR's Randy de Puniet made him work for it. Pedrosa, th e reigning 125cc World Champion, an d de Pun iet swapped the lead five times on the final lap, de Pun iet making a tactical error by looking over his shoulder prior to the final corner. While he w as looking right , Pedrosa pas sed on the left , scooting to victory. '~fte r seven or e ight laps I have a big problem w ith my rear tire," de Puniet said. " In the last corner I did a mistake , and Pedrosa overtakes me and finishes ahead." Hayden (69) starte d fourth and w as there fo r a lo n g time, heading Co lin Edwa rds (45) and Marco Melandri (3 3) b efore Barras (4) ca me past. Pedrosa's first 250cc win comes at the age of 18 years, seven months, I I days , you nger than Alan C arte r's age - a mark that has stood since 1983. The ma rgin of victory was .536 of a second. Re pso l-As par Team 250's Sebastian Porto put in the ride of the day for th ird . Porto was out front early then ran off the track when his front tire sk idded entering the back stretch, the Spaniard climbing the banking briefly before re-joining the race in 22nd. Fro m there he cut a swath th ro ugh t he field , finishing 5.3 seco nds behind de Pun iet and 19 seconds in fro m of fourth-placed Manuel Pogg iali, the reigning 250cc World Champion . "Th e important th ing is that we made it to the podium after what happened at the start," Porto said . Kopron Team Scot's Andrea Dovizioso replaced Pe d ro sa on the factory 125cc team, picking up w he re Pedrosa le ft off. T he Italian teenager started from t he pole an d took o ff with vete ra n Roberto Loca te lli, bac k in the 125cc class for the first t ime since wi nning the class t itle in 2000; the pair led a quartet at the front be fore making the race t heir ow n. In t he final co rn e r, Do vizioso lau nche d a perfect attack an d took a dramatic win in his debut with th e team . The margin of victory was .7 1 of a second, "O n the final lap I didn't know where I was going to pass Roberto [Locatelli] ," Dovizioso said through a translator. "I thought on the straight. I saw Roberto wait a little too long two corners from the end, and I could go on the inside ." Locatelli said: " I don't know w here is Dovisioso is in back of me. Is po ssib le he pass me, but I don't th ink the last co rn e r." Third went to Aus tral ian C as ey Stoner on th e Red Bull KTM just in from of Master-Repsol Team 's Pablo Nieto. As with the other two classes, this one was run in record time. Dovizio so completed the race w ith a t ime over 12 sec onds better than Dani Ped rosa's winning time from 2003 , his average speed 93.557 mp h . eN PHAKISA RA CEWAY WELKOM, SOUTH A FRICA R ESULTS: APRIL 18, 2004 (ROUND 1) MOTOGP QUALI FYING : I. Valentino Rossi ( 1:32.6-47); 2. Se te Gibe ma u (1:32.68 2); 3. Max Biaggi ( 1:32.9 19 ); 4. Nicky Hayden (1:33.098 ); S. Col in Edwards (I:33.111); 6. ShinyaNakano ( I:33.276); 7. Marco Melandri ( l :n .296); B. Alex Barr os (1:3 3.359); 9. Lori s Cap ;'",,; ( 1:33.5 22) ; 10. Kenny Roberts J'. ( 1:3 3.543) ; II. Joh n Hopkins ( 1:33.598); 12. Hakoto Tamada ( 1:33.679); 13. Alex Hoffman (I ;JJ.BIS); I ~ . Carlos Che