Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128379
ITill WIrill GII._IIII rill' .1111 .llllIlr crl.1I111 IICllrt By ter just four of 17 races, Valentino RoSSI's march to a fifth successive premier-class championship is already ooking unstoppable. A third victory of the year increased an already yawning points gap over his nearest rival, and the Doctor's manner of winning once again underlined not only his superiority, but also the fact that early handling problems with the 2005 Gauloises Yamaha M I have now been solved. From now on, winning should be even A easier. Rossi started from pole position and had been fast also in the Saturday mornIng wet session. For the first time all year, he did not once mention "the nervous feeling" that meant he classified his new bike as "not at 100 percent." In fact, the breakthrough had come In MIcHAEL Scon PHOTOS China, two weeks ago. ';6.t tests after Estoril, we worked with the suspension to make the back feel better, and after qualifying In China we made changes to the front," Rossi said. "But the race was wet, so we didn't test it." In France, however, It was all just fine. Rossi started badly and finished the first lap in sixth, while second qualifier and Rossi teammate Colin Edwards put up a reputation-redeeming show on his Gauloises Yamaha, leading for the first 20 of 28 laps. Rossi was happy to sit on Edwards' tail after working his way qUickly through the field ... until the even slower-starting Telef6nica MoviStar Honda rider Sete Glbernau arrived in a headlong rush, his harder tires now paying dividends. Rossi directly passed Edwards, Gibemau folowing him through Immediately as the 30 MAY 25, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS IY GoLD & GooSI "lexas Tornado" shook his head in disbelief at having left a gap for them. From then on Gibernau hounded Rossi all the way, but the reigning World Champion was riding fauldessly, lapping faster and faster as the race wore on, finally setting a new record on his last lap - at I:33.226 it was seven-tenths faster than last year's time. Gibernau was a quarter of a second adrift over the line. "We were lucky," Rossi said. "The rain didn't arrive. and we used the good c0nditions to make a great race. Setting fastest lap on the last lap means the bike works well. I made a mistake at the start, for a second race, and my tire needed two laps to get temperature. When I caught Colin [Edwards]. he had a good rhythm, so I stayed behind to recover. Then Sete [Gibernau] arrived very fast. so I pushed, every lap, a little faster." Gibemau had also been obliged to wait for his hard tire choice to get up temperature before picking through the pack of factory bikes ahead of him. "I was hoping It wouldn't be too late they already had a big advantage," he said. "I went as fast as I could, and when I caught them I wanted to slow and cool the tires, but Valentino didn't let me." Gibemau had planned a Iast-lap attack, but a slide on the penultimate lap (and Rossi's record pace) meant he wasn't close enough. Edwards was more than fIVe seconds behind at the finish, explaining that when Rossi went past he'd stayed wide, hoplng for a chance to counter-attack on the exit, only to see Gibernau also dive past. "I wanted to win, too, but these bastards were too fast." he said. "The whole weekend was a crapshoot. There wasn't