Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Wor ld C h ampionship R o a d R a c e S e r-ies R o u n d 1 1 : C z ech G r- a nd P rix (2:12.044): 15. Randy De Punier (2: 12.082) 16. . Pablo Nieto (36): 16. Manuel Poggial i (35): 17. Randy De Punlet (3 1): 18. Reinhard Stolz (21): 19. Jaku b Smrz ( 2 : 12 . 2 19 ); 17. Jaro s lav Hule s (2:12.236): 18. Marco Petrini (2:12.249): 19. Arnaud Vincent (2:12.308): 20. Reinhard Stolz (2:12.358): J ere etev Hules ( 19); 20 . Mas similillno Seb betan l (13) . 2 50 cc QUALI FYING : 1. Oliv i er J ac qu e 21. Angel Nieto J r. (2 : 12 .3 73) ; 22. Ant on io Elias (2:12.4 10): 23. Max Sabbatan i (2:12.656 ): 24. (2:03.673): 2. Tohru Ukawa (2:04.0 19): 3. Shinya Nakano (2:04.022): 4. Marco Melandri (2:04.041): 5. Fr an c o Battain i (2 : 0 4 . 850) ; 6 . Ralf Waldm an (2:04.973): 7. Daijiro Katoh (2:05.323): 8. Jason Vincent (2:05.478): 9. Sebastian Porto (2:05.637): Manuel Poggi ali (2: 12.66 0); 25. Will iam De An gel i! (2: 13.320): 26. Leon Haslam (2:13.783): 27. Igor Kalab (2:15.028): 28. Adrian Araujo (2:16.465): 29. Laszl o Bancsl kl (2: 16. 7 16 ); 30 . M icha el Bre zi na 11 of 16 round s): I. Olivier Ja cque (20 1): 2. Sh inye Na kano (1 9 4) : 3 . Toh ru Uk8wa ( 185) : 4 . Da ij ir o (2:06.099): 12. Klaus Nobles (2:06.135): 13. Alex Debon (2:06.156): 14. Anthony West (2:06.358): 15. David Checa (2:06.429): 16. Fonsi Nieto (2:06.521): 2. Youic hi 0 1 ( De r); 3. Em ilio Alazmor a (Hon ); 4 . Lucio Cecch inello (Hon ); 5. Norbo ru Ued" (Hon); 6. Arnaud Vincent (Apr); 7 . Mirko Gia ns anti (Hon) ; 8. Gino Borso i (Apr) ; 9 . J a ro sla v Hutes (I~ ); 10 . Ivan Go i ( Ho n); 11. .Jek u b Smrz ( Ho n) ; 12. M tl nuel Poggiel i (De r): 13. Ma rco Petrin i (Ap r): 14 . An to nio Eli as ( Ho n) : 15. Reinhard Stoll. ( Ho n); 16. Pabl o Niet o (Der ); 17. Leon Heslem (Ita): 16. Igor Kalab ( Hon) ; 19 . La sz l o Be n c slkl ( Ha n) : 2 0 . Ga ber Talm acsi (Han) . lime: 41 m in .• 19. 190 sec. Dista nce: 63 .64 miles. Average speed: 92 .420 m ph Margin of victory: 1.533 sec. West (9 4) : 7. Marco Melandri (84); 8. Franco Betteln i (73) ; 9 . Naoki MlilS u do (70) ; 10. Seba st ian Port o Bolteraurer ( 2 : 1O. 19 3) ; 30. Mi chae l Witz en eder (2:10.195): 31. Radek Rous (2:10.699). Norick Abe (2 :02 .481 ); 8 . T et su y a Ha ra d a .Ie rnc J an ssen ( 2: 0 7 .052 ) ; 2 1. J am ie Robinson (2:07 .268) : 22. Al ex Hof mann (2 :07 .312): 23 . Sebas tie n Gimbert (2 :07.330): 2 4 . lucas Oliver (2:07.344) : 25. Julien All emand (2:07.383) : 26. l uc a Bo sco scuro ( 2:0 7. 61 0) : 27 . Iv an Clem ent i (2:08.068): 28. Adrian Coates (2:09.287): 29. Ilw e 25 0cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Shinya Nakano (Yam); 2. Tohru Ukawa (Han): 3. Olivier J acq ue (Yam); 4 . Ma rco Mela ndri (Ap r) ; 5. Ralf Waldman ( Ap r): 6 . Daij iro Kat oh ( Han); 7. Franc o Battaln l (Apr ): 8 . Seba stian Port o (Yam) ; 9. Klaus Noble s (A pr) ; 10. Antho ny West (Hon) : 11. Naok i Matsudo (Yam ); 12. Shah rol Yuzy (Yam) ; 13. David Cbece (Han) ; 14. Luce Bo scoscuro (A pr): 15. Jamie Rob inson (A pr); 16. Vincent Phili ppe (Hon ): 17. Ivan Clem enti (Ap r); 18. Sebastien Gim ber t ( Hon ): 19. Al ex Hofma nn 125« WORLD C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After BRIEFLY M a x Biaggi claimed the first-day pol e position . with one day of practice remaining at a sunsoaked Sma circuit. venue for S unday's Czech Republic GP. Biaggi. a former winner at the sweeping circu it. waited until the closing minutes before unleashing his Marlboro Yamaha. circulating almost eiqht -tenths inside the lap record to claim provisiona l pole . " My bigge sl probl em is tire chatter on the comers - but it' s good to get a time like this. lt ' s oxy gen for Ihe team . " said the Roman rider. wh o is looking for a change o f fortune in the 11th of 16 round s. and after the fourweek summer break. Lori s Capirossi (Emerso n Honda) wa s second faste st. two-tenths slower. both of them knock ing American Kenny Roben . Tele fonica MoviS lar Suzuki to a close third. after he'd move d 1 the lead of the hour-long session wilh ten minutes 0 to go . Hoberts was back on his second -best bike. with an offcolor motor. after his preferred bike gave him handling prob lems. "Sometimes yo u have a bad session . I think we came out o f this one pretty well. and l'rn confident I can improve my time torno rrow . " said Hobert s. who leads the world championship po int s table. V a lentino R o ssi is anything but scatty on a motorbike. but the rest o f the time he ·s notoriou s for his a b s e n t -m in d e d n e s s . And he excelled himself this wee k by forget ting his passport . but managing to smuggle himself across the border by hiding in his mot orhome . In a reverse of the so rt of move once used to escape from this former Iron Cunain co unlry. Ro ssi wen l into hiding and held his breath as nowadays frien dly border guards waved Ihe vehicle across inl o the Czech Republic . " Earlier this year. Valentino went 1 Suzuka 1 test . but forgot to take his crash helmet . 0 0 laugh ed one of his l earn men . " Now we have a big box in the truck fo r his stu ff . and we take care of everything for him. The only Ihing he has to bring 1 the track is himself. " 0 Luca C a d a lo ra was back on the Mo denas for a second race on the lal esl M k3 ve rsion of the lightweight Ihree·cyIinder 500class racer. buill by Kenny Roben s Sen ior to challenge the Japane se hegem ony . B ut the 36-year- old t hree·ti me 250 and 125 champion. now semi·retired. said Ih is woul d be his last ride . at leasllhis year. " I want to help Kenny 's le arn. and I also enjoy the bike and being back in GP racing . but afte r this I will sto p again. " he said. Austral ian Mark Will is is expec ted to race the Modenas for the rest of the season. Dut ch rider Jurgen van den Goo rberg h was down to test the bike at Bm o the we ek afte r the GP . as well as Czech 125 rider Jarosla v Hules. Robens has run into trouble wit h his independent const ructor project. now in its fourth year . but hope s the latest version of the bike will at last show its tru e potentia l. Suzuki will also stay on after the Cze ch GP for two days of le sting . Sta tistic s released at S ma showed how much Kenny Roberts Jr. has dominated the fi rst ten r a c e s . leading up to th e summer break. As well as leading in Ihe points . and having the mo st race wins (three). Kenny has claimed : More top' three finishes than any other rider (six), more Front-row starts (nine). more faste st laps (th ree). including two lap records. more pole po si· tions (six from 20 sess ions) , more first po sitio ns in free practice (nine fro m 20 sessions) , more fi rs t po sitions in race-morni ng wa rm-up sessions (three from 10). more laps leading a GP ( 104) . represe nting 42 percent of all laps so far this seaso n. Cleaning "beads · left on the track afte r shot·blasting may have c aused e ngin e p rob le m s that hit S uzuki during the weekend . There were some unusual com ponent failures during pract ice . and in the race bo th Roben s and Aoki co mplained of losing power. Wh en the engines we re stripped after the race . mechan ics fo und metallic grains in bo th crankcases. Team manager Garry Taylor c ue I Katoh (157): 5. Ralr Waldmann (108): 6. Anthony (62): 11. Klaus Nohlee (34): 12. Luca Boscoscuro (29): 13. (TIE) Jason Vincent/Johan Stlqefelt (26): 15. Alex Debo (24): 16. Jamie Robinson (22): 17. n Roberto Rolfe (20): 18. David Chece (1 7) : 19. Shahrol Vu,y (12): 20. Alfonso Nieto ( 11). 500cc QUAUFYING: 1. Max Biaggi (2:01.291): 2. Lori s Cap i ro ss i ( 2 :01.6 75); 3. Garry McC o y (2:01.936): 4. Valentino Rossi (2:02.096): 5. Kenny Roberts (2:02.117): 6. Ale. Crtvllle (2:02.208): 7. 17. Vincent Philippe (2:06 .nO ); 18. Jeronimo Vidal (2:06.879) : 19. Vladimir Castka (2:07.023 ): 20. 11 or 16 round s): 1. Youi ch i Ui ( 165): 2. Robert o Loc atell i ( 160 ) ; 3 . (TIE ) Emi li o Alazmora /Mi rk o Giansanti ( 126 ): 5. Norbo ru Ged a ( 113); 6 . Amaud Vincent (t02 ); 7. Azuma Mas" o (98 ): 8. Gino Bcrsol (80 ); 9. Ivan Goi (75) : to . Simone Sanna (64) ; I I. lucia Cecc hinello (59); 12. Steve J enkn er (54 ); 13 . Gianlu igi Scelv inl (42): 14. Angel Nieto Jr. (39) ; 15. A UGUST 30.2000 ' 2S0cc WORLD C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 10 . Naoki Matsuda (2 :0 6 .086): 11. Sha hrol Yuzy (2:11.041): 31. Gabor Talmacsi (2:18.056). 12Scc GRAND PRIX: I. Roberto Locatetll (Apr): 12 (A pr); 20. Lucas Oliver (Y8m) : 2 1. Julien A llemand (YlIm); 22. Adrian Coates (A pr): 23 . Y la dim ir Castka ( Yam) ; 24 . Michael Witzeneder (Han ): 25 . Radek Rous (Hon) . lime: 41 m in., 44 .845 sec. Distan ce: 66. 99 miles. A \lerage speed: 96. 28 mph Margin of vict ory: 3.994 sec . e n (2:02.631): 9. Jeremy McWilliams (2:02.641): 10. Jurgen vd Goorbergh (2 :02 .69 4 ) ; 11. Alex Barro s' (2:02.874): 12. Tadayuki Okada (2:02.982) ; 13. Set e Gi b ernau (2: 02 .99 6 ) ; 14. No buatsu Aoki (2:03.013): 15. Carlos Checa (2:03.025): 16. Regis Laconi (2:03.944): 17. Luca Cadalore (2:04.321): 18. J ose luis Cardoso (2:0 4 .765); 19. Paolo Tes ser l (2:07.888): 20. Sebastien Legrelle (2:08.660): 2 1. PhilGiles (2:09.615): 50Ccc GRAND PRIX: 1. Max Biaggi (Vam): 2. to ok a plastic bag of samples to show race director Paul Butler. b ut by then th e management team had left the trac k - so it remained unclear if any other team s had been similarly stricken. 0 " If this really is the cause of the problem . it' s hard 1 believe it wo uld only be us. " said Taylor. lt's suspected that the shot-blasting wa s used to remove the old white lines. whic h. by regulation. this year were repla ced with a new non-slip paint. Ironically. Kenny Robert s was a prime mover in instigating the clean-up - and may now be victim of an unexpected con seque nce . C l o s e ra c ing has been the hallmark of the 500cc class since the enforced retirement of Mi ck Doohan at the stan of last seaso n - and stati st ics prove the case. The last race . the German G P. was the clo sest ever in 51 years o f G P racing . w ith the top five crossing the line well under tw o-seconds apart . The previous closest, by the same cri terion. was also this year - the Japa nese GP . Of the ten closest. seven have been this year or last. The stati stic s are: 1 - Germany 2000 (Sach sennnq ) 1.674 2 . Japan 2000 (Suzuka) 2.530 3 . Czech Republic

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