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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128332
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Round 7
Ju ly 4 , 2004
MOTOGP
Aoyama's factory Honda at bay to the line.
Another gap, then came Roberto Rolfo,
still perplexed at why his Honda engine is
slower than all the others. He was com fortably clear of de Puniet, who was almost
caught by Alex Debo n and Franco Battaini,
who had bee n battling all race long.
Second was enoug h to gwe Pedrosa
the lead on points, 130 to de Puniet's I 19.
The nonscoring Porto has 88, Elias closing
on 86, with Nieto on 7S.
125CC GRAND PRIX
The 125cc race was remorseless, with a
gang of six going at it almost all race long
- dropping to five w hen Lorenzo slipped
off w ith II laps to go.
Stoner led the first two laps, Barbera
the next six, then Stoner again for anot her four. But that was only over the line,
with all five of them back and forth at different points on the track .
Stoner and Barbera seemed the
strongest, the Australian taking over the
lead in the middle of the race , ced ing it
to Barbera again fro m laps 13 to 15,
then ta king it back again as the checker ed nag approached .
It was still anybody's race , though , as
Dovizioso showed wh en he led a single
lap, the second to last.
This was a warning to Ston er - re latively short of to p speed.
"I knew with two laps to go that ther e
were a few capable of passing me on the
straight, and I knew I didn't want to be
seco nd when I got there . I tried to get a
good run, but it wasn't eno ugh," he said
after the race.
Not enough to win, with Barb era
crossing the line less than a te nth ahead,
but he did manage to kee p Dovizioso,
Locatelli and Giansant i behind him.
Dovizioso ke pt the championship lead,
125 points to Barbera 's 109, both with
two race wins. Locatelli ( 106) is coming
under pressure from Stone r (104), with
Pablo Nieto (seventh today behind
Simoncelli) on 72.
eN
NELSON PIQUET CIRCUIT
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
RESULTS: JULY 4, 2004 (ROUND
7)
MOTOGP QUALIFYING : I. Kenny Ro berts Jr.
( 1:48 .4 18); 2. Max 8GW (L 48Sn); 3. Nkky H.yden
(1:48.S80); 4. Seee G;bemau ( 1:48.6 18): 5. Alex Barros
(1:48.675); 6. Loris Up;""'; ( 1:48.844 ); 7. Makoto Tamada
(1:48 .848); 8. Valentino Rossi ( 1:49.075): 9. Shiny> N.kano
( 1:49. 153): 10. Troy Bayl;ss ( 1:49.546); I L Colin EdwM d.
(1:49 .64 8); 12. Carlos Checa ( 1:49 .673); 13. Muco
Melandri (1:49.n3): 14. Ale. Hofmann ( 1:49.853); 15.
Norick lobe ( 1:50. 128); 16. Ruben Xaus (1:50.240) : 17.
John Ho pkins ( I :50. l S0); 18 . Jere my McWilliams
(1:50 .942) ; 19. Neil Hodgson (1:51 .031); 20 . Shane Byrne
(1:5L792); 2L Nobuauu Aoki (1:51:9 55); 22 . Kurtis
Robe