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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128628
He had ma naged to hold off Ma ts u do , nar r o w ly , with t he Jap a nese rider's teamma te Sharol Yuzy for once right with him , two tenths be h ind ov e r t he line . T he n c a m e Checa, c los e ly followed by Boscos curo a nd a disap po int ed Robinson, h imsel f narrowly a he a d o f a n oth e r fi ve r ide rs . T h e Briton had a bad sta rt fro m th e seco nd row o f th e grid , blam ing finger injuries to h is cl utc h hand , and had been unable to get free 'of this fierce battle. There we re 25 fi n is he rs: Nie to , wild c a rd Uwe Bo lte raurer and two othe rs crashed out. Naka no ' s fo u rt h win o f t he y ear re d re ss e d the c ha m p io ns h ip positio n s o m ew hat . J a c q u e st ill lea d s with 20 1, bu t Nakan o ha s 194 , a nd Ukaw a 18 5 . Kat oh is dro p p ing b a c k wi t h 157 , with Wa ld mann fifth with 108 . c a rryi ng some awkwa rd and pa inful inj u ri es, fr om wh ich h e has n o w re covered. Ukawa , a ls o rather typ ic a lly, lost h e a rt in th e c lo si ng s ta ges , a n d a lmost fe ll ba c k into the cl utches of th e dete rm ined Ja cqu e , s lid in g around on h is tire choic e , a nd ob lige d a ls o to fe nd off a determined a tta ck from Me la ndri in t he la s t laps . The Frenchman was ju st a sec o nd be hind the Hon da at the end , with Melan dri a si m ila r dista nc e behind him . Wa ldman n had dr o pped back aft er th e ha lfwa y point, but wa s still safe in fif t h ; Katoh had be e n b a ttl in g b a d h an dlin g , b ut had g ra d u a lly o utd ista nced Batta ini's Aprilia fo r s ixth. It was ra th er pr oc e s s ion a I behind to o , w it h Sebas tia n Po rt o a lon el y eig hth . Th e Yam a ha rid er ha d be e n fo llow ing J ay Vince nt's Pa d g et t s Aprilia fo r much of the ra ce , but had nipped a hea d when the Briton fe ll off. No e hl es was n in th , m o v in g th rou gh a ll race long ; We st was a dis a p poi nte d tenth, sa ying a fte r the race th at an assembly fault meant he had 1 2 5 c cR A C E The greatest excitement, mo re or less , came a min ute or so a fter th e finis h , when the heavens o pened for a brief, but spectac ular , s hower. Th e p its a n d p a d d o c k we re a b uzz with wha t mi ght have b e en had it ha p pened a fe w m inu t e s e a rlier. But it d idn 't, leavi ng Roberto Lo c a te lli to take his th ird win of the year a lm ost unmo lested . T he Italia n Apri lia ride r led fro m the first lap to the last , but not with o ut interrup t ion , for Youi chi Ui is n otably de term ined, a nd the De rbi ride r di d close Lo c atell i d o wn, a nd even got a head for o ne la p , s hortly befor e hal f distance . Alza m or a had been with him , a nd a lso Luc io Ce cc hine llo, but both were le ft beh ind a littl e by th is mid - race surge. Alzamor a had c a ug ht up aga in by the finis h , however , a nd was push in g the Derb i ag a in , fin is hing twotenths behind. Cecchinello was fourth, tea m mate Ueda ten seconds ba ck in fifth , the n Vincent narrowly ahe ad of Gia nsa nti and Gino Bors o i, with J a ros la v Hules n inth on the ltalje t. T he re were several cras her s , incl uding Randy de Puniet in the e arly s ta ge s , Angel Nieto later o n , a n d S te ve Jenkner ne ar the finish, fro m t he g r o u p d isputi ng sixt h. Ma s a o Azu ma re tired, Gianluigi Sca lvini a nd S imone S an na we re a mong me ch an ica l retirements , the latter while d is puting six th with Ued a. Th us an oth e r c ha m p io ns hi p got c lo s e r, Ui's adva nta ge c u t to fi ve p o ints , 165 to Lo catell i' s 160 . Al za mora a n d Gia n sa nti are n o w e q ual with 12 6 , Ue d a has 1 13 a n d Vincent ha s 10 2. eN (L eftl Ol ivier Jacque qual ified on t he pole, and then finishe d t hird In the race, maintaining h is points l e ad o ver Ya m a ha teammate and ra ce w inner Sh inya Nakano. (B elow) Roberto Locatelli cont i nues to chase Youichi Ui i n the h u nt f or the championship, but Ui f inished second and still holds a five - point advantag e in the points; 165 to 160. Ho n da sta y ed c los e unt il si x la p s fro m t he end , it was all o ver s o on afterwards a s Naka no uppe d the pace yet again, setting a new lap reco rd as he stretched his own and everyb od y e lse's le g s , w inni ng in t h e end b y a lmost four seconds . It ha d be e n a n imma c u late rid e , typ ic a l for him , and was a reminde r that, ov e r the las t races - as J a cque had gained the title lead - th e J apane se rid er had been u ncomplain ing ly Czech Grand Prix 8m o, Czech Repub lic Results: August 20, 200 0 n o rear br ake, whi c h h e u s e s e ve n with the power on to help ste a dy the bik e . "It was a wa ste of t ime being out there," he s a id, though h is team could find no fa ult with the bike after th e race . c ue I e 125 c c QUALIFYING 1. Ro b er to L oc at elli (2 : 10.003 ) ; 2 . Youichi Ui (2: 10 .0 48 ); 3. Norbo ru Geda (2:10.323) ; 4. Emilio Alazmora (2:10.543 ); 5. Ste ve Je nkn er (2 : 1 1.0 4 6 ) ; 6 . Gia nl u ig i Sc al vin i ( 2 : 11. 3 2 1): 7. Lu ci o Cecch in ello ( 2 : 1 1.3 2 2 ); 8 . M a s ao Az um a (2: 1 1.3 63 ); 9 . M irk o G i ansa nti (2:11.366) ; 10 . Ivan Go! (2 : 11.573); II. A lex De Angelis (2: 11.695); 12. Pablo Nieto (2: 11.807); 13. S imo ne S a n na (2 : 1 1.9 2 1); 14 . G ino Bo rs o i n e _ S • A UGUST 30, 2000 11