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/1542350
Jerez cir.uir MOTOGP Round 1 ,t|or.h 26, 2006 "l was committed to my line, but luck- it Sete didn't cry to get our of rhe way, and held his line," Hayden said. ''l was able to tuck my elbows in and just squeeze through - it's lucky this year's bike is narrower!" He got up ro second, but couldn't stop Pedrosa. Then he nearly lost third on the last hairpin. "l was behind flames] Ellison [who was about to be lappedl, and I hesitated because I didn'r know which way he'd go," Hayden explaaned. "Elias came by, but we were to and fro. and I got him back. Wow - that would have been the worsr. ' Hayden is the only rider on a 2006 factory Honda. and he added: "We were there at rhe be8inning, but the pace is not enough. We ve got to get more trac- tion. But two weeks ago here [during the test] we didn't have a chance. We're def- initely closer," Fourth was a barely less than remark- able performance from Elias, who stopped on the slow-down lap to apologize to Rossi. Put almost last by the collision, he was up to I3th by the end of lap one. and kept pushing onward, fourth by lap 16, and closing threateningly on Hayden. "l was sorry for Valentino, but we were all bunched toSether," Elias said. "l clipped Valentino. I went to apologize to him after the race, although these things do happen in racing-" The last person he passed was his teammate l"larco I'lelandri, srill struggling with his Honda's handling, and saying: "The changes we made during warmup didn't work as well as hoped. We took a bit of a backward step. I am still not very comfortable with the front end of the bike. I didn't want to push too hard and risk the points I had." Stoner was a strong sixth almost throughout his first l'4otocP race, fending ofl a raceJong challenge from front-row qualifier Shinya Nakano's Kawasaki, still two-tenths behind at the finish. "l made a great start, and wirh the mix- up in turn one, lwas able to get with the leaders," Stoner said. Another l0 seconds back, Kenny Robens Jr. gave his father's team the boost they had been hoprng for with rts new Honda-powered hybrid - nipping past former Suzuki teammate .lohn Hopkins with one lap to go. "l iust tried to stay consistent," said Roberts. "l lost the front a couple of times and had my feet offthe pegs. I had to ride real smooth. The reality of how the machine is and they way lride need to correlate. I sneaked up on John [Hopkins]. I wasn't sure if I could pais him, but I got a good drive on him, and when he tried to get me back I was able to spin it up side- ways outside of him, which I couldn't do before fon the Suzuki]," But he wouldn't claim any revenge on the team that dropped him. "l still have a lot of good friends there,'' he said. ''l'd have tried the same no mat- ter what bike it was." Hopkins, as usual, rode the intermit- tently promisinS, new Suzuki with con- spictrous bravery all weekend. Slowed by the Rossi incident, he was up to sixrh after catchinS up. "l had to ride like a maniac to get back," he said, only to be slowed by arm pump, a worrying first for the Anglo- American. Makota Tamada was three seconds adrift in loth - and only then came the first Yamaha. lt was Edwards, also slowed by the Rossi incident. "l probably made the best start of my whole life, he said. He was with Rossi, and watched the whole incident in utter dismay, forced into the gravel trap to avoid striking the fallen World Champion. "lt really capped the whole weekend for us. But the trurh is, we werent fast enough to challenge today. This track has been a real pain for us, and I can't wait to get away,'' said Edwards. Second Suzuki rider Chris Vermeulen was also balked in turn one, finishing lap one lsth, Betting to l2th, only to be dis- placed by Edwards with five laps to go. "l think some of today was down to inexperience," the Australian said- Carlos Checa was l3th in his first Yamaha,/Dr.rnlop race, troubled by fading rear grip in the race (not to mention a dose of flu and a crash over the week- end), but optimistic. "l could see I was faster in some parts of the racetrack. and slower in some qth- ers. We learned a lot, and Dunlop [is] working very hard," he said. Rossi, left shaking his fist at the depart- ing pack iust seconds into the race, might have been forgiven for taking an early bath. lnstead, he gamely remounted, his M I minus a rear brake and half the front brake lever. Thinking it wofthwhile to at least get an eveotual two points. ''l had a nice battle with Alex Hofmann," he said with fine irony. He beat the Pramac Ducati rider quite easily, by 18 seconds. 'After the warmup I felt more confi- dent,'' Rossi added. "l thought it was impossible to win, but possible to fight for the podium.'' Rising Spanish starJorSe Lorenzo made an jmpressive claim to the top 250 seat, vacated by double champion Pedrosa, with a pole-to-flag win in the 250cc class. He was headed only once, brieflX by Fortuna Aprilia teammate Hector Barbera, but from hal{ distance he started to pull away convincingly to win by five seconds. "l was worried when llost the lead, and the race was hard- But I was able to get in front again, and when the tires went down I was superior," he said. Italian Alex de Angelis was a lonely sec- ond on his Aprilia, with former l25cc World Champion Andrea Dovizioso the victor of a fairing-banging baftle for the last rostrum position from his Humangest Honda teammate Yuki Takahashi and Fortuna Aprilia. Spaniard Alvaro Bautista delighted the home crowd with a win in the flrst race of the year - the l25cc GP His clear win was an ill omen for the usually close class, as he st.etched away to a lone victoD/ by better than three seconds on his Aprilia. World Championship Road Racing Series tl !7! L *. \ \ I "-- -.,-I1 )' r i. I I It , I r I I lrqfrl ,{ ,- ,1 - \ ?'e. 18 APRILs,2cf,,6 . CYCLE NEWS