Cycle News

FEATURE P84 WHERE THE RACING IS It is the last corner set at Brno, a longer, faster and wider leftright shortly before the finish line, and a reliable race-decider, up to and including last year, when Pedrosa bamboozled Lorenzo on the entrance to lead on the way out, proving at last that when the chips are down, he is capable of a fight. Maybe the most memorable was in 1996, the day Alex Criville, underdog in the Repsol Honda team, turned the tables on his hugely dominant teammate Doohan for the second race in sucEvery corner was crucial in the cession. It was the enormity of Wayne Rainey/Kevin Schwantz this very rare event as much as battles, but the final chicane at the two-thousandths gap that un- Suzuka was always where that race derlined the drama of his last-chi- was settled. Rainey celebrates his cane barging match; and revenge win in 1993. for the incident at Jerez earlier showed when he got inside Lothat same year – see below. renzo there in 2010 (Lorenzo went on to win; it was not the last lap). >>CRUCIAL CORNER #3: But the best examples over the Jerez's Lorenzo Corner years are pretty similar, however. Finally, the corner that works almost every time. As at this year's Bike racing as contact sport, with Spanish GP with Marquez and the best moves on the very borLorenzo, as so many weekends derline of disqualification. There's only space for a coubefore, in classes great and ple of examples, but they are resmall. The irony of it being given Lorenzo's name two days before sounding. Back to 1996, the year Criville his humiliation is an extra. By the was finally as fast as Doohan. way, it is Turn 13. Crucially placed and difficult He had the Jerez race sewn up, to defend, it offers many oppor- it seemed, able to narrowly outtunities for attack, and not nec- pace Doohan everywhere. In the essarily as violent as Marquez's bag. Or was it? A very Spanish full-contact charge, using Lo- event meant he was unable to renzo's bike to finish his braking prove it. Driven to screaming ecstasy so he could make the corner. It's possible to make the same move by the sight of compatriot Criville with more precision, as Pedrosa leading Doohan lap after lap, the crowds leapt the fences and ran right to the trackside with their fireworks to cheer Alex home. It had the opposite effect. He slowed in alarm; hard-nosed Doohan closed right back up. And barged underneath him into the last corner. Criville tried to stay ahead on the wide line, spun the rear wheel, and went flying off in a looping highside. Fast forward, ignoring several other crunching impacts and lastcorner heartbreak, to 2005. Rossi was in his pomp, had just won his first title with Yamaha, his third in succession. His rival was Sete Gibernau, whose Honda had claimed four wins in 2004. It went sour at Qatar, where Rossi accused him of treachery when he was penalized after his crew had tried to lay rubber down on his starting position. Gibernau won, Valentino crashed out, and then publicly vowed that Sete would never win another Grand Prix. The Spaniard was whiskerclose to proving him wrong at Jerez. Until they arrived at the last corner. Rossi's move was very much like that of Marquez, including a shoulder-bashing collision. Gibernau managed not to fall off, Rossi won the race. Cackling with laughter at his rival's all-too-evident discomfort. Marquez stopped short of laughing at Lorenzo, instead trying to apologize only to be repeatedly brushed off. In every other respect, it was a carbon copy. CN

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