Bv MICHAEL Scon
PHOTOS BV GoLD & GOOSE
f anybody had a dream result for the
Rio Grand Prix, something to put
some zip back int o the championsh ip after it seemed Rossi was
abo ut to run away w ith it again, it
probably would have been suggested that
the superstar was well overdue for a hiccup. Perhaps he might slip off (unhurt, of
course), and somebody other than Sete
Gibernau might win. Max Biaggi was a
I
quirky 3.0S-mile Nelson Piquet circuit,
which had already given Kenny Roberts
Jr. his and the Bridgestone-shod Suzuk i's
first pole position since his title year of
2000 , on the two-stroke.
Nicky Hayden had been dogging
Biaggi's footsteps from the start, but
Camel Honda's Makoto Tamada, Biaggi's
teammate, was also coming. He was ahead
of Rossi when the Italian crashed, and soon
i
past Hayden as well. Now he chased Biagg
mercilessly until four laps from the end .
final loop ing right-hander, Tamada
pounced, and once in front he drew slowly but steadily clear to win by two seconds.
Tamada is also on Bridgestones, and he
was one of the victims of the rear tire failures that blighted the Japanese brand's
.
progress only three races ago in Italy
After that, Bridgestone built reinforced
ties and admitted that development had
been set back "by several months."
Apparently not . Or is it just that the
bumpy and slippery Rio circuit suits them
Michelin.
"A perfect race, with the bike settings
and tires as good as they could be," said
Tamada afterward. '" chose a new profile
that Bridgestone introduced at Assen. I
knew from the start it was good . The
team did a magnificent job, and I did the
rest. I'd like to dedicate my victory to
them and to my dear friend Daijiro Kato.
I miss him, and that is the greatest homage I could pay to him. July " was his
birthday."
