Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Briefly... British KR KTM rider Shane Byrne was injured in a scooter accident on the evening of the race at Jerez, saying he had been riding slowly along a debris-strewn road when, "I must have hit something hidden in the rubbish." He was thrown over the handlebars, suffering abrasions to both hands and one leg, though not enough to threaten his participation in next weekend's Portuguese GP. "I missed the race last year because I was injured," the cheery rider said. "Now I've nuined my plans to learn the circuit on the PlayStation this week, because I've hurt my hands too much!" Valentino Rossi pulled it all out at Jerez during qualifying to claim pole position almost half a second from deadly rival Sete Gibemau. Since this was the first time all year that lap times really mattered, it added weight to the theory that the dominant rider had been sandbagging at previous tests, especially in the "dash for the hatchback" at Catalunya. This was reinforced at the postpractice press conference, when he said his because I am also a fan, and I want to enjoy the sport. I am Spanish, so I am caliente [hot]' But I try always to think of the positive, and I ask some respect for that. Congratulations to Valentino. And I say I am really happy, because I am pleased with everything I did in the race, that I was able to control." Gibernau had led until three laps from the end, Rossi shadowing him steadily. Gibernau said he had then let him past, so as to avoid falling victim to a last-lap attack and to watch for his own chance. In fact, he never did put his (still secret) plan into action, because Rossi made an error braking for the Dry Sack hairpin at the end of the back straight, running wide. From then on, it was fearsome. They touched on the exit of that corner, and almost again at the double-right Nieto curves a liale further around, where Rossi got ahead again briefly. Then there were just three corners left. Rossi made a better exit from the penultimate and was virtually alongside as they hit the brakes for the last hairpin. As Gibernau tipped it in, Rossi ran straight into him, and then his line carried him wide. His foot was off the peg as it happened, but he denied he was out of control. But his wide line left Gibernau nowhere to go except into the gravel. It wouldn't have happened, said Rossi, if he had not run wide at Dry Sack. "I thought to myself, 'You are a f&~ing dickhead,''' he said later. "But I knew I was faster out of the second-last corner, and I think he knew I was faster there. I was alongside when we braked, pole time had been "the first time I rode the new MI so well." Was this a coincidence, or had he been pretending ali along? Not so, he insisted. "I never rode at less than 100 percent ali through the winter. We did a very good first test in Malaysia [in January). After that, we found some problems. The bike was nervous, and I did not have a good feeling from the front. We needed more time than normal to get the bike right. Also, the qualifying tires help our bike. Michelin have made good work with the new qualifying tire, because they are worried about Bridgestones - and our bike works very well when the grip is good." "Cheese" was on the menu at the Repsol Honda team launch, where a pair of dancing girls was wheeled out to take the covers of this year's factory bikes. To the evident surprise of riders Max Biaggi and Nicky Hayden, they were roped in by the girls to stnut their stuff - revealing that while Hayden has the rhythm, an embarrassed-looking Biaggi is no dancer. More encouraging was a firm statement by Repsol sponsorship chief Tom's Garda Recio, scotching rumors that they are planning to pull out of bike racing after their 2004 season without a single race win. "We have supported the factory Honda team for II years, and we will renew our commitment. I hope it will last at least another I I years," he said. The lack of wins in 2004 had been "a hiccup," he added. Not announced was a still-secret possibility that Repsol might combine with fellow-Spanish company Telefanica MoviStar next year - though a source at the current Telefonica Gresini team (fielding Sete Gibemau and Marco Melandri) said, "One problem might be because we have strong links with Castrol." Five-time World Champion Mick Doohan was a special guest at the Repsol team launch, where HRC boss Sugunu Kanazawa presented to him a memento of his career: a Gibemau (151 led into the final carner an the last lap, but Rossi (461 came flying up the inside and punted the Spaniard into the gravel trap. section of an NSR cylinder, including piston, connecting rod and a section of crankshaft, set in a Perspex block. Perhaps out of respect, or perhaps in view of his leg Continued on page 2 J CYCLI NEWS • APRIL 20,2005 19

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