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/128382
the back of his helmet) and was all smiles. "I think we used at 100 percent the home factor," he said. "We had a lot of pressure during the weekend but a lot of concentration during the race. Three Italians on the podium and four in the top four. It was a fantastic show for all the people. "I tried to break at the beginning, but I couldn't," he continued; he had fought with Melandri without too much problem. "Then arrived Biaggi, and I had a great battle with him. It was a good pace, but 2 1/2 laps from the end, I started my attack. I made two very good laps, and the bike setup was very good. We have a good advantage in the championship. but it's only the beginning. Things can change in a short time, so we have to continue to work to stay at the top." Second, especially such a close second, was a revelation for Biaggi, finally finding form after four down-beat races. "When I was fighting with Rossi at the end, it showed that we were the only two capable of winning this race," Biaggi said. "You can win or you can lose, but a little mistake can take you out. I tried everything I could. Now we have much more clear ideas, and I want to be fighting for this position to the end. If we carry on, we can fight for the championship." Capirossi was likewise overjoyed, after injury and other problems had spoiled his year so far. ':After the warmup, we decided with Bridgestone to run a harder rear tire," Capirossi explained. "This is why ....-::;; at the start I was a little .--:::;;;.............-~ bit slow, but ~ through ~ the race, the tire was working really well. Sometimes during the race, I was thinking, 'This is more like I25s.' We had a big fight between four Italians and the riding was correct." The race was close behind them for the next three positions, with Marlboro Ducati's Carlos Checa finally succeeding in taking fifth from Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden after a long and relentless pursuit. Checa had been short of grip in the early stages, "but as the fuel load went down, I could keep a better rolling speed into the corners," he said. Checa was less than four seconds behind Melandri and had Hayden threetenths behind him. "I really wanted to beat him, but it wasn't to be," the American said. "On the positive side, it's the closest I've been to the leaders timewise all season by quite some margi n, though I'm obviously not thrilled with sixth." Camel Honda's Alex Barros was a close seventh, three seconds behind. Some way back was Konika Minolta Honda's Makoto Tamada in his return to racing from injury. Tamada had zapped Rossi's teammate, Colin Edwards, for eighth on the last lap. Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano was a lonely 10th, after outpacing the fast-starting and hard-trying Suzuki-mounted John Hopkins. Two seconds back, another returnee from injury Alex Hofmann narrowly beat Troy Bayliss, with Ruben Xaus 14th after dropping Kenny Roberts Jr. The former World Champion was almost caught at the finish by Shane Byrne, having a strong race on the Proton KR, with the new-generation KTM motor performing promisingly. Defending World Champion Dani Pedrosa showed his ~ :W~ class with a fine win In yet another close and fierce 2SOcc race, hanging with the leaders until the closing laps but pulling out a one-second advantage on the last one for his first win since the opening round at Jerez. The race was enlivened by class rookie and pole starter Jorge Lorenzo, who led for a spell, then secured second on the final lap with some spectacularly aggressive riding, consigning Alex de Angelis to third and early leader Casey Stoner to a close fourth, The trio was covered by less than half a second over the line. "It was a hard race, long and hot, and I had had trouble from practice • but when I saw de Angelis had tire prob· lems and Lorenzo not so much power, then I knew I could win," Pedrosa said, Hungarian KTM rider Gabor Talmacsi claimed a first GP win In the 12Scc class by inches from Swiss Thomas Luthi, though the pair only made it after watching erstWhile companions Mika Kallio and Hector Faubel crash dramatically together In the last corner. Kallio was in front, but he slid and highsided; Faubel close behind was unable to avoid running over the sliding Finn and was sent looping head over heels into the gravel. Amazingly, neither was seriously hurt. MOTOGP The big crowd was at fever pitch for the main race - cheering hysterically for RossI, booing Gibernau. The crowd's enthusiasm was rewarded by a classic race. It didn't look that way at first. as Capirossi led into the first comer, from Gibernau and the pack. Rossi was slxth or so off the line, but in a blinding first lap, he pushed through to fourth at the first turn, to third in the middle of the rightleft Casanova-Savelll, off the hOI for the first time. Into the last long righthander, he pushed past Capirossi to take second and then