Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/146671
RR~Dlia~~~m~~~_~~~_R_~_es_en_'e_S:R_o_un_d_l0 ~ .. Wayn~ Rainey (1) leads teammate John Kocinski (4), Doug Chandler (10) and Wayne Gardner.(5) early in the 500cc GP. Australian Wayne Gardner had his best finish of the 1992 season, taking second behind Rainey in the French GP. Rainey takes aimat Doohan By Michael Scott MAGNY COURS, FRANCE, JULY 19 arlboro Yamaha's Wayne Rainey won his second GP of the season . at Magny Cours, shOWing j'l. crowd of 56,000 in perfect weather how a champion can come back from injury and control the race from the front. M 14 Rothmans Honda's Wayne Gardner was second, and Rainey's teammate fohn Kocinski third - the first time, the two Yamaha riders have been together on the rostrum all season. With title leader Michael Doohan still absent and Lucky Strike Suzuki's Kevin Schwantz crashing out, the win moved Rainey back to second in the World Championship, just 37 points behind Doohan. With three races left and 60 points on the table, his return to form' means that Doohan had better get well soon. But the French Grand Prix, the 10th round of the 13-race championship, was something of a race of attrition, where backmarkers played a crucial role on the new circuit, full of one-line slow comers and lac.king in passing places; and in which both pole,starter Doug Chandler _ and his .Lucky St.rike Suzuki teammate Schwantz crashed unhurt on the same comer. Assen winner Alex Criville also fell from his Campsa Honda, and there' were only 18 finishers. • The 250cc GP went to the Aprilias again, with practice crasher Loris Reggiani pipping Pier-Francesco Chili after the pair had been within touching distance all race long. Third went to title leader Luca Cadalora, who missed the chance of tying up his second World Championship here. The Rothmans Honda rider, who crashed in morning warm-.up, just beat Jochen Schmid's Yamaha over the line. But Schmid blamed wild card rider Jean-Michel Bayle for getting in his way when he was being lapped for denying him Yamaha's first 250cc rostrum since 1989 - all part of an inglorious GP debut for the motocross superstar, who finished next to last in the race. The 125cc GP was another victory for Semprucci Honda's Ezio Gianola, who ran away with it after his closest rival Fausto Gresini crashed his Marlboro Honda. Second and third were .the Honda riders Noboru Deda and Jorge Martinez, in a close finish. But it was a bad day for title leader Ralf Waldmann, who faded to 10th with a broken reed valve and saw his title lead cut to one point over Gianola. The Sidecar GP went to Rolf Biland, his third win in succession, with Egbert Streuer second and Klaus Klaffenbock third. It was Streuer's best result of a bad year, and a worrying day for title leader Steve Webster, who was fourth after suffering carburetor problems. A small statistic: all four classes were won on different makes of tires. The Sidecar winner used Yokohamas, the 125cc winner was on Bridgestones, the 250cc on Dunlops and the 50 Dec on Michelins. SOOcc GP Kocinski was first out of the trap, but Rainey was in front by the end of the first lap, with his teammate behind and Chandler tucked up in third. Rainey set about making a break for it, while Gardner, in a blustery mood, came charging through to take second on lap two, with Chandler following. Gardner was really on the move, and . his pace apparently did in the pole starter. It was on lap five that Chandler lost the front wheel on one of the second gear turns, and slid off unhurt. He freewheeled back to the pits, saying: "1 seem to be having trouble getting through the early laps of these races." (A reference to his similar Assen crash.) Rainey kept his head down, as Gardner closed to within a second. A fine battle seemed in store, and the Australian set fastest lap of the r~.ce on the fifth tour. But then: "The bike seemed to eat the rear tire up really quickly, and I was getting tired, so I thought I've spent enough time lying on the ground this year and I'd be better off finishing second." . He waS soon under pressure from Kocinski and Juan Garriga, with the Spanish Yamaha getting ahead of the American briefly after Kocinski ran wide. "He never overtook me," said Kocinski. "1 just made a couple' of mistakes that allowed him to get anead." They were closing gradually on Gardner until the Australian managed to get a couple of backmarkers between them for one of the first-gear comers, and that opened the gap up again for their positions to be fixed for the finish, with fourth-placed Garriga three seconds adrift at the end. Hungary winner Eddie Lawson was . fifth on the only Cagiva (teammate Barros had broken a collarbone in practice), and was saved from an attack from