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
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La§'t Lap Vale
Under the new Saturday-afternoon·only system. only one qualifying
session really matters. and only the last few minutes of that - a fact
that nobody exploits as well as Valentino Rossi and his team.
Rossi had been fastest in the first free session, Sere Gibernau
headed the second. Carlos Checa the third. It was Gibernau again as
the minutes ticked away on the final qualifying session.
Rossi's crew timed its final qualifying tire run perfectly, while
others, including Max Biaggi, Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden.
missed out by seconds, fitting a soft tire but completing their outlaps after the checkered flag. And so it was that Rossi snatched it
again, by .136 of a second, after it seemed the matter had already
been settled.
Rossi had switched from his new engine parts to the old after
finding that in spite of better response out of the corners, it was
costing him top-end speed on the long straight, and he said there
were other matters also still to be settled.
"My team did a great job, especially at the end of the session,
changing the tire in a short, short time," Rossi said. "I already had
done a good lap, but my last lap was good. Pole is important. but
tomorrow will be tough. There are may be 10 riders who could be
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• CYCLE NEWS
capable of winning, and we have some more things to try in
warmup. I need to make a good start for once."
Gibernau had to take what he got.
"This is always a difficult track for us - very technical," he said.
"The important thing is we're on the front row, and though we had
some problems yesterday. the bike is better today."
Times were very close and positions something of a lottery, with
no less than 12 riders within a second of Rossi's record-speed pole.
The last front-row winner was Biaggi, less than a tenth down on
Gibernau for his first strong practice performance of a year that has
started badly.
"I missed my last run on a soft tire by three seconds, but it's
good to be back on the front row;' he said. "We've tested a good
race setup on used tires. and I am comfortable. For an Italian rider.
this track has no secrets."
They were all packed up tight behind him. with row two led by
Hayden, three-tenths off pole and another rider to miss out on a
final run on a qualifying rear tire.
"We were short by three-tenths of a second - we need to get
that timing right," he said. ''Anyway. I'm much happier than I was
yesterday. "
He had John Hopkins alongside after yet another superhuman
effort on the down-an-speed Suzuki. One can only imagine what
Hopper might do on a Honda. with his angles of lean. He had
missed last year's race injured but spent Friday night "working on
my lines. I just thought about it and came out this morning swinging;' Hopkins said.
In spite of his top·speed advantage, Loris Capirossi's best was
four-tenths off Rossi's time, putting him sixth. But it could have been
different: He ran wide on a qualifying lap and spoiled his time.
"We've been in the hunt all weekend;' Capiross; said.
"The second row is okay - I'll be in front by turn one;' he predicted. The bike is really strong here. and the tires. I feel really confident."
Marco Melandri led row three, confident in spite of losing time
working on a front-end feel problem. Carlos Checa was alongside.
and then Shinya Nakano's Kawasaki.
Returned injUry victim Makoto Tamada led row four from Kenny
Roberts Jr. and Colin Edwards, the last riders with;n a second of
pole; Alex Barros. returnee Alex Hofmann and Ruben Xaus made
the next row. FollOWing was David Checa, ahead of the still off-form
Troy BayliSS and Shane Byrne. riding the Proton KR with the latest
KTM engine. Roberto Rolfo, James Ellison and Battaini completed
the 2 I-strong grid.