Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

W o r ld C ham p io n sh ip R o a d R a c in g S e r ie s R o u n d 1 3 : V alen cia G r a n d Prix b e h in d , movi n g t hroug h from fo urth to make t h e p o i n t c rysta l cl ea r , h e pulled r ight up alo ngsi de h im aga in o n lap o ne to take the lead fi rm ly on across th e line , so U i claimed th e ros trum by ba re ly a wheel. E m ili o Alzamo ra wa s fift h afte r l ap fou r. T he p oints lead er imm edi atel y sta rt ed to o p e n up a g a p , and soo n after one - third d istan ce it was r unn ing a lone for most o f t h e rac e d ist an c e . The b ig gang wa s b ehind , with Simo ne Sanna even t uall y preva iling. On his back w hee l , Gianluigi Sc a lv i n i h a d pu lled all th e way through fr om 18th on th e fir st l a p m o r e t h an two seconds, w i th Ui , t ea m m ate N iet o and Honda -mounted Azu m a lo ck ed in battle o v er second , and slowing one another down. B y h alf -d ist an c e , however , Azum a h ad prevailed and w as cl o sing do wn afte r a bad st a rt. Then , in short o rder, c ame Lu c io C ecchine ll o , Gino Borsoi , Arnaud Vin ce nt and N obb i e U eda , w ith a b ig g ap t o th e n ext f in is h e r , Antonio d e Angelis . o n t he lead er, o n ly t o outb ra k e h im and t ak e to the front into the f irst cor ner o n lap 15 . The A p rilia rider had it u n d e r c on tr o l , h owev er , mo ving stra ight back ah ead and then stretch- Locatelli's fourth w in extended h is po in ts lead o ver Ui t o 24 , 205 -18 1. A lzamora is losing touch on 16 2 , then ing th e pace just enough to lead the Hon d a over t h e line by fo ur tenths . A littl e wa y ba ck Nieto , h av ing th e G ia n sa nti on 129. T h e It a li an n ev e r recovere d f rom a b ad st art , fin is hi ng 13th. V incent is next, on 124 . CN rid e of h is young li fe , was hol d in g off h is senior teammate U i ea sily enough to ca use som e a la r m t o th e D e rb i Ricardo Tonoo Circuit te am , anxi o us t o p rotec t U i' s d wind lin g c h a mpions h ip c h a nces . With Valencia, Spain Results: September 17, 2000 f iv e l a p s l e f t th e y hun g o ut a pi t 5 00 <: <: Q UA LIFYIN G : 1. K en n y Ro b ert s (1 :3 5. 133) : 2. Max Biaggi ( 1:35.19 1): Loris Capi rossi (1 :35 .29 6) : 4 . Garry McCoy ( 1:35 .338 ) 5 . Valent ino Ro ssi ( 1:35.4 24 ): 6. Carl os Checc e ( 1:35.4 52 ); 7. A l e x B ar ro s (1 :3 5. 4 8 1); 8 . J u rg en va n d en Goorb ergh ( I :35.632): 9. Sete Gibernau ( 1:35.65 1); bo ard sayin g O K P4 to Ni e t o . H e ig nored it t he f irs t time, but com p lied t he n ex t , le tting U i th rou gh. But j us t This year, Valenci a's weather was fine and calm throughout , give or take a negligible sprinkling of ash on Saturday from a nearby forest fire. Th e di scon tin uity came from Michelin's qualifying tires, here for the third race in succession , and making for another end-of-session scrambi e for pole. It changed hands three tim es, but as teams get used to the new syst em the usual gang of suspects ended up fastest, with Kenny Roberts Jr. on his fourth pole of the year after dominating most of the previo us sessions. "I don't understand the mentality of people wanting quali fying tir es," he said. "But ali i was interested in was gett ing a front -row start." More imp ortantly he had motor tune-up parts that hadn't worked at Estori!, but were now doing the tric k . The engine was no more powerful, but response was better at low and m iddle revs. "It makes it easier for me to have the confidence to open the throttle earlier in the cor- ner," sa id Roberts. "It should be worth a little tim e over race distance," added technica l boss Warren Will Ing. "It' s easier on the rider, and on the tires." Roberts had headed the lists for much of the time before the qualifyin g tire rush, and the man he displaced at the end, by six hundredths of a second , was Max Biaggi, who had been pole for a matter of seconds. He was happy nonetheless. "It's important to get a good start here because the track is so tigh t," he said. "And Importan t to have a set-up that is easy on tires." Something he felt he'd achieved over the two days. Loris Capirossi was next, j ust a 10th down, and back at clo se to fui! strength a month after his most recent hand inj uries. "It was a problem for me in Portu gal, but here it' s much better," he said. That meant he'd been able to catch up somewhat with the by now almost universal switch to 16.5-inch rear tires, of especial importance here with the hot conditions and big lean angles on tigh t comers. Capiross i's other comfort was that his time had been on race tires. "I used qualifying tires, but they didn 't work for me," he said. At the far end of the grid, the last race winner Garry McCoy, at the track where last year he had first come to serio us attention as he unleashed his tail -out riding style . This year he was j ust as sideways under brakes, but not sliding out of the corners quite so' extravagantly. Why? "We're start ing to get m ore traction and drive out of the bik e, and the ti res have imp roved. But after 10 laps when the ti res get hot, it'll be back to the same thing ," he grinned. Tim es were very close on the tight track, as last year, with the first 16 quali fiers within a second of pol e position. Thu s Valentino Rossi, heading row two, had mi ssed the front by less than four hundredths of a second . He'd run straight on a couple of times in practice, but was happy with his set-up by the end of it all, and said; "I made a m istake in the last corner on the qualifyi ng tires, and lost half a second. Maybe I coul d have been on pole, and I'll be going for the win." Carlos Checa was next, slowly regainin g strengt h and form after his big accid ent in Germ any and heading A lex Barros and the ever-a mazing Jurgen van den Goorbergh's Vtwin. Row three saw Sete Gibema u, the first factory Repsol Honda, heading Regis Laconi and his team m ate Alex Criv ille , with Nobuatsu Aoki on the far end. Laconi had been on provisional pole after the first day, riding like a demon as he strives to get the team to keep him on for next year. Jeremy McWill iam s led row four, the injected Aprili a all at odds with the siow comers and low gearing , where its tendency to lift the front wheel became more serious. He headed Tadayuki Ok ada and David de Gea, back on the Modenas for his hom e GP and enj oying the development as well as a new chassis with revised weight distr ibution. In fact he'd been as high as seventh at vario us times, and his tim e with in less than a second of pole was the best yet for the Mk 3 version of the bik e. Norick Abe's V-four was next, then Tetsuya Harada led row five. There were 23 qualifiers. 10 S EP TEMBER 2 7 , 2000 ' cue • e n e vv 50 10 . Re gis La c o ni ( 1:35 .6 82 ) ; 1 1. A lex C riv ille (1 :3 5. 7 0 I ) : 12 . Nobu at su A oki ( 1:3 5 .8 00 ) ; 13 . Jerem y McWillia m s ( 1:35. 89 4) ; 14. Tada yuki Ok ada ( 1:36.09 1); 15. Da vid De Gea ( 1:36.109): 16. Norick A be ( 1:36 .115) : 17. Tetsuya Harada ( 1:37.445); 18. J ose Luis Cardoso (1 :37 .800); 19 . Da vid Thom a s ( 1:39 .026 ); 20. Yos hite ru Kon ishi ( 1:39. 507); 21. Se bas t ie n Le gr e ll e ( 1:3 9 .6 3 8 ) ; 22 . Phil Gil e s ( 1:4 1.46 1); 23 . Paolo Tesse rl (1 :41. 495). 5 00<:c GRAND PRIX : 1. Gary McCo y (Yam ); 2. Kenn y Rob ert s ( Su z) ; 3 . Ma x Bi aggi ( Yam) ; 4 . Nobuatsu Aok i (Suz); 5. A lex Barros (Han) ; 6. Regis Lacon i ( Yam ) ; 7 . Carlo s Ch ec ca (Ya m) ; 8 . Set e Gibern au ( Hen) ; 9 . T aday uk i Ok ada ( He n); 10 . Jurgen v d Goo rb ergh ( Ha n ); 1 1. Dav id De Ge e (M od ); 12 . J ose Lu is Ca rdo so ( Ha n) ; 13 . David Tho ma s (Han) ; 14. Yoshiteru Konishi (Hen); 15. Phi] Giles (Han). Time : 48 min .. 27. 799 sec . Di st ance: 30 laps, 74.4 93 mi les Avarage speed: 92 .225 m ph Margin of victory: 5. 005 sec. Fast est lap: Alex Criville, 1:36.085, lap 4 500 cc WORLD CC'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (Aft er 13 of 16 rounds ): 1. Kenny Roberts (2 14/ 3 wins); 2. Valent ino Rossi ( 148/1) : 3. Carlos Checca (14 1); 4. Garry McCoy ( 134 / 3) : 5. Loris Caplross l ( 126/1); 6. Al ex Ba rr o s (1 2 1/ 2) : 7 . Max .B iaggi (1 18/1 ) : 8 . Nori ck Abe ( 113 /1 ) ; 9 . Alex Crivi lle ( 107/1) ; 10 . No buatsu Aokl (9 9 ) ; 1 1. Regi s Laco n! ( 88) ; 12 . Tadayuki Okada (8 7) ; 13 . J ur gen vd Goorberg h (74): 14. J eremy McWi lliams (66); 15. Sete Gibem au (59): 16 . Tetsuy a Harad a (30 ); 17 . Da vid De Gea (23) ; 18. Jose Luis Cardoso ( 19);. Yoshiteru Konishi ( 15): 20 . Sebastien LeGrelie (7) . 250 cc Q UALI F Y I NG : 1. Olivie r J acqu e ( 1:3 6.680): 2. Shinya Naka no ( 1:36 .706 ): 3. Marco Melandri (1:37.424 ): 4 . Tohru Uk awa (1 :37.538) : 5. Fran c o Bat t ain i ( 1 :3 7 . 55 2 ) ; 6 . Ralf Wal dmann ( 1:3 7.577) ; 7. A lex Deb on ( 1:37. 7 57) : 8 . David Chece ( 1:37.986 ); 9 . Luce Boscoscu ro ( 1:3 8. 149 ); 10 . Fo n si Niet o (1 :38 .216 ) ; 1 1. Sha hrol Yuzu ( I :3 8.30 6 ); 12 . Seba stia n Porto ( 1:3 8 .4 15 ) ; 13 . D aijiro . K at o h ( 1 :3 8 .4 15) ; 14. A nthony We st ( 1:3 8. 65 0) : 15 . Klaus N ohl e s (1:38 .655 ) : 16 . Jeronimo Vid al ( 1:38 .734) : 17. Ja mie Rob i nson ( 1:38 .84 4): 18. Naoki Matsuda ( 1:38.992); 19 . Jaso n Vincent ( 1:39 .048) : 20. Vincent Philippe (1 :39. 165): 2 1. Adrian Coate s ( 1:39.225); 22 . Julien A llema nd (1 :39.345); 23 . Ivan Clem enti ( 1:39 .422) : 24. Alex Hofm ann ( 1:39 .7 13); 25 . Jarn o Jans sen ( 1:39.734): 26 . J oh an Stl ge felt (1 : 3 9 . 8 13 ); 27 . Se ba stien Gimb ert (1:39.981): 28. Lucas Ollver (1 :40.226) : 29 . Ism ae l Bonil l a ( 1 :4 0 .4 3 7 ); 30 . A l v ar o M oli n a (1 :40.569). 250cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Shiny a Nakan o (Yam) ; 2. Oliv ier J acqu e (Yam) ; 3. Marco Melandri (A pr); 4 . Toh ru Ukawa ( Ha n) ; 5 . Da ri j ir o Ka toh (Hen ): 6 . Franc o Batta in i ( A pr); 7 . A nt ho ny West (Hon ) ; 8. Sebastian Porto (Yam ): 9. Jason Vincent (A pr); 10. David Checca (Hon) ; 11. A lex Debon (A pr) : 12. Luce Bo sco sc uro (A p r); 13 . Ralf Wa ldma n n ( A pr ); 14 . Shahro l Yuzy (Yam); 15. Naoki Matsudo (Yam) ; 16. Vincent Phil ippe (Hon ); 17. Fon si Nieto (Yam ); 18. Alex Hofm ann (Apr); 19. J am ie Robin son (A pr); 20 . Julien A llemand (Yam); 2 1. Ivan Clement i (A pr): 22 . Luc as Oli ver (Yam ) ; 23 . A dri an Coat es (A pr) ; 24 . Jar no Ja nssen (Hon). lime: 43 m in ., 49.140 sec. Dist ance: 27 laps, 67 .04 m iles Avarage speed: 9 1.80 mph Margin of victory: 4.285 sec. Fastest lap: Shi nya Nak ano, 1:36. 398, lap 16 250cc WORLD C'SHIP POINT STA NDI NGS (After 13 of 16 round s) : 1. Olive r Ja cque (24 1/2 wins); 2. Olivier Jacque (19) leads h is teammate Shinya Nakano (5 6) and jump-starter Ralf Waldma nn (6) e arl y in t he 2 50cc Gran d Prix. Shinya Nak ano (2 19/5) ; 3. Toh ru Ukawa (1 98 /2 ): 4 . Da r ij i r o K a to h ( 19 3 /1) ; 5 . ( T I E ) Marc o Melandri/ A nth ony We st ( 116) ; 7 . Ralf Wa ldman (11 1/ 2) ; 8 Franco Bat tein t (87 ); 9. Naokl Mat suda (7 1); 10 . Sebast ian Porto (70); 1 1. Klaus Nohle s (45 ); 12. J ason Vincent (4 2); 13. Luce Bosscoscur c (35 ): 14. A lex Debon (29 ): 15. J ohan Stlqefelt (26 ): 16. (TIE) Jamie Robi nson/Dav id Checce (23 ); 18 . Al fonso Nieto (21) : 19. (TI E) Roberto Rolfo /Shahrol Yuzy ( 14). 125 cc QUALI F Y I N G : 1 . Ro bert o L oc a t elli ( 1:4 0 .9 18 ); 2 . You ic hi Ui ( 1:4 1. 0 1 1) ; 3 . Em ilio A lzamora (1 :4 1.547): 4 . Pablo Nieto ( 1:4 1.67 1); 5. A l ex De Angeli s (1 :4 1.695 ) ; 6 . M a sa o Azu ma ( 1:4 1.785) ; 7. Angel Nieto J r. ( 1:4 1.834); 8. Lucio Cecc hi nello (1 :4 1.890): 9. Noba ru Ueda ( 1:4 1.946) : 10. A rna ud Vincent ( 1:4 1.957) ; 11. Gino Borso i (1 :4 1.992 ) ; 12 . Mi rk o Gia nsa nti ( 1:42 . 10 8) : 13 . Randy De Punlet ( 1:42.1 19) : 14 . Ivan Goi (1:42.200 ); 15. An to nio Elia s (1:4 2.4 53); 16 . Max Sabbatan i ( 1: 42 .5 23): 17 . Sim one Sa nna ( 1:4 2 .5 5 6 ) ; 18 . Manue l Poggiali ( 1:42.559) ; 19 . Gian lu ig i Sc elvln l (1 :42 .560): 20 . Steve J enkner ( 1:42 .878); 2 1. David Mi ca (1 :43 .210): 22 . Eri c Bat allle ( 1:43. 277 ); 23 . J ar o sl a v H u l e s ( 1:4 3 .4 6 7 ) ; 2 4 . Marco Petr in i (1 :43 .50 7): 25 . Leon Haslam ( 1:43.554 ): 26 . Hecto r Faubel ( 1:43. 802); 27. Ange l Rodriguez ( 1:43.9 38); 28 . Rei nh a rd Stol z ( 1: 4 4 .3 20 ) ; 29 . Wil liam De Angelis (1:44 .465) ; 30 . Ad rian Ara ujo ( 1:47.297). 125 cc GRAN D PRIX: I. Roberto Locatell i (Apr); 2. Masao Azuma (Hon) ; 3. Youichi Ui (Der ); 4 . Pablo Nieto (Der); 5. Em ili o A lzamo ra (Hon) ; 6 . Simo ne Sanna (A p r) ; 7. Gianl uigi Sca lvin i (A pr) : 8. Lu ci o Cecc hinello (Hon) ; 9 . Gino Borsol ( A pr) ; 10. Arna ud Vincent (A pr); 1 1. Nob oru Ueda (Hon) ; 12. Alex De Angelis (Hon); 13. Mirk o Giansanti (Hon ); 14. Manuel Poggiali ( Der) ; 15. A nton io Elias (Hon ); 16. Steve Jenkn er (Hon) ; 17 . Angel Nieto Jr. (Hon); 18. Randy De Puniet (A pr) ; 19. Hector Faubel (A pr); 20 . Marco Pett ri ni (Apr ); 2 1. J aro sla v Hules (Ita ) : 22 . Leon Haslam (Ita) ; 23 . Reinhard Stolz (Hon ); 24 . David Mico (A pr) ; 25 . Willi am De A ngeli s (Apr); 26 . Max Sabbetanl (Hen) . Tim e: 42 min., 27 .5 05 sec. Di st ance: 62.977 mil es Avarage speed: 87.7 2 mp h Margi n of vict ory: .433 sec. Fast est lap: Youichi Ui , 1:40. 63 1. lap 8 125cc WOR LD C'SHIP POI NT STANDINGS (Aft er 13 of 16 rounds): 1. Roberto Loc atelli (205/ 4 wins); 2. Youich i Ui ( 18 1/5); 3. Emilio A lzamora (162 /2 ); 4. Mirko Giansant i (1 29) ; 5. Vincent Arn aud (124/1 ); 6. (TIE) M asao A zum a/N ob oro Ueda ( 1 18 ); 8. Gino Borsol (95) ; 9. (TIE) Sim one Sann a/ Ivan Goi (85 ); 11. Lucio Cecchinello (80 ); 12. Steve Je nkner (59) ; 13. Pablo Nieto (53) ; 14 . Gianluigi Scalv ini (5 1) t5. An gel Nieto Jr. (46): 16 . Rand y De Pun iet (40) ; 17. Manu el Poggiali (37) : 18. Jaroslav Hules (25) ; 19. Reinhard Stolz (2 1) : 20 . (TIE) Ma x Sabbatani/ A lex De An gelis ( 16) . Upcoming Rounds Round 14 - Jacarepagua, Brazil, October 7 Round 15 - Motegi, Japan, October 15

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