By MICHAEL
SCOTT PHOTOS BY GOLD
&
GOOSE
Carlos Checa (7) got the jump on the MotoGP field at the start of
the Dutch Grand Prix but was quickly passed by Sete Gibernau
(15) and Valentino Rossi (hidden).
oW many different ways
are there to stamp your
authority on racing? It's
hard to predict exactly
what weapons Valentio
Rossi has in his arsenal, but he produced
another one at Assen , to win his third
race in a row and to move into a joint
lead of the World Championship with
Sete Gibernau and his Telefonica MoviStar Honda.
The Gauloises Yamaha rider's trick this
time was one from his old 125cc days - a
H
14
JULY 7, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS
daring and forceful overtaking move on
the last lap where he came alongside
Gibernau in one of the classic Assen's circuit's fast zig-zag sections , and he was
perfectly placed to take the lead at the
next corner.
Forceful? Certainly - the bikes
touched , and Gibernau's front fender was
broken by the contact.
"I think perhaps Sete will be a little bit
angry," said Rossi afterward. "Ialmost lost
the front at the next comer."
But it was fair, ifonly just. And the way
the Yamaha pulled away over the rest of
the lap, to win by almost half a second,
was proof enough that Rossi deserved the
victory after setting a new lap record the
lap before.
''I'm obviously annoyed , because we
made a good race, and I wanted to win,"
said a grim-faced Gibernau, who declined
the traditional champagne-spraying performance on the rostrum. "We touched
on the last lap, and Valentino explained
that he almost fell . Ifthat is the case, then
there's nothing for me to say. These
40th Anniversary
things happen in racing."
The race was an amazing 37 seconds
faster than the last dry race here two
years ago. This was in spite of a severe
shortage of dry setup time, with only one
of three practice sessions not drenched .
More than 90,000 fans braved the return
of the rain, but it never came .
Gibernau led every lap except the last.
Alex Barros had been with the leaders,
and he nosed his Repsol Honda ahead of
Rossi briefly, only to crash heavily when
he hooked first instead of second gear at
