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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128402
Brief'Y···
Continued 'rom poge 2'
of the same rider's incident on the Aprilia at
the Sachsenring the year before last - but that
time the bike caught fire good and proper
when the fuel filler cap came off, and Edwards
had to bailout at speed. "The engine running
with the bike on its side seems to have caused
the problem this aftemoon," he said. "These
things are designed to run standing up."
Sete Gibemau may not have won a race this
year, but he now seems certain to beat Valentino Rossi in one contest - the BMW award for
the MotoGP Best Qualifier. With just one
round left, Sete's cumulative qualifying times
are almost two seconds quicker than the
World Champion's, and his prize will be a
BMW M5 to add to the hatchback MI that he
won at the offIcial preseason tests at Catalunya. Adding all the times from every race plus
the Catalunya tests, Sete has a total of
29;24.029; Rossi 29:25.985. Next up was
Nicky Hayden, at 29:28.682.
The I 25cc class is the only one in which the
title remains to be decided - and points
leaving Checa unmolested to the finish,
and rejoining behind not only Edwards
and Barros but also Tamada. It was the
start of an impressive fight back from the
22-year-old class rookie, as he closed on
Tamada, who was himself getting closer
to the two up front, and dispatched the
japanese rider on lap 18.
One lap later, Elias was past the fading
Barros as well, and he hounded Edwards
for the next two laps, until he pounced
last time into the tight left-right-Ieft.
Edwards got him back halfway through,
but the ex-125 star was not to be bullied
and passed him again on the outside on
the next bend to claim a career-best
sixth.
Tamada passed Barros with three laps
to go.
Vermeulen had an eventful afternoon,
finishing lap one in ninth, and holding the
position after Checa got by, with
Nakano, Tamada, jacque and Hopkins
piled up behind him for two more laps.
Then Nakano picked him off, and next
time around so did Tamada. But he
stayed ahead of the others to the finish.
Biaggi had a dire afternoon, finishing
the first lap in 15th, behind Ducati substitute Shinichi Ito, and losing touch with
him for the next few laps. He only got
ahead as the japanese rider slowed when
he saw the black flag pulling him into the
pits. He gradually caught the slowing
Hopkins, passed him after half-distance,
then passed jacque as well two laps later.
That was the end of his progress.
The final change at the back of the
points came when Hopkins lost yet more
ground and dropped to within range of
Xaus, who passed him with two laps to
go.
Rossi has one more race to beat his
record of I I wins in a season, and equal
Mick Doohan's record of 12 - any chance
of beating that has now gone. He shouldn't worry, with a total of 351 points.
Melandri now has a handy little lead
for second, 195 points to Hayden's 186.
Edwards is losing touch on 171; Biaggi
eN
has 163, and Gibernau has 150.
ISTANBUL PARK CIRCUIT
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
RESULTS: OCTOBU 23,
2005
QUALIFYING: I. Sete Gibernau (1:52.334): 2.
Marco Melandri (1:52....63); 3. Nicky Hayden (1:52.976);
1. Valentino Rossi (I :53.177): 5. Colin Edwards
(1:5].219): 6. Toni Elias (1:53.230): 7. Makata Tamada
(I,S3.66l): 8. Alex 8..,.os (I:S3.719): 9. Carlos Checa
(1:53.836): 10. Shinya Nakano (1:5....023); II. Chris
Venneulen (I:S4.21l): 12. Max 8'agg; (I,S4.3S8): 13.
Olivier Jacque (1:5 07); '4. John Hopkins (1:54.434);
IS. Shinkhi Ito (I :5 669); 16. Ruben XaU5 (I :55.414); 17.
Roberto Rolfo (I ,SS.838): 18. J.mes Ellison (I ,S6.S76).
MOTOGP: I. Marco Melandri (Hon); 2. Valentino
Rossi (Yam); 3. Nicky Hilyden (Hon); .... Sete Gibemau
(Hon); S. Carlos Chea (Duc): 6. Toni Elias (Yam): 7. Colin
Edwards (Yam); 8. Nakata Tamada (Hon): 9. Alex Barros
(Hon): 10. Shinya. Nakano (Kaw): II. Chris Vermeulen
(Hon): 12. Max Biaggi (Hon); 13. Olivier Jacque (!