Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

I -.il -I - I I E I L r on T4, but his plan to attack there was spoiled earlier in the lap. "l took two really big risks on that lap," he said,'Actually, lmaybe had three moments. Twice I lost the rear; then I lost the front going into rhe flrst Arrabbiata corner, and I thought, 'F--ing helll' I think I lost about a second on that lap. I man- aged to close it down, but it wasn't enough. But the whole battle with Valentino and Nicky was so correct. We overtook each other many times, but in a Hayden likewise had produced a ride he could be p.oud ol includin8 droppinS off his percistent teammate Dani Pedrosa. "l needed to come back this weekend and answer the bell, and I did that," Hayden said. "lt was a good battle, and everybody was out for blood today. I've had some hard baftles like that for sev- enth, but it's fun when it's for the lead. These are the days you really enjoy. Towards the end, lactually felt a bit stronSer, so I thought I might be able to try and spoil it for them. But there's no excuses - | didn't get it done." The races were just as close in all class- ln the 250s, Fortuna Aprilia's ,orge Lorenzo showed his return to form with a brilliant win in a brilliant 250cc GE with a pack of seven riders lock€d together and going back and forth almost to the last lap. The Spanish rider had started from pole and led away, but when he couldn't escape, he hung back and waited until the last lap to put his stamp of authority on the proceedings. Erstwhile leader Alex de Angelis hung on to a close second, resisting a fierce attack on the last lap from Honda-mount- ed Andrea Dovizioso. His teammate Yukio Takahashi was inches behind. the last survivor of the big group. "The race was a little bit crazy - you had to be lucky," said Lorenzo. Australian Anthony West was a flne eighth, the private Kiefer Bqs Aprilia rider seeing off ShuheiAoyama's factory Honda for his best result of the season. Victory in the I 25cc GP was won by a mere thousandth of a second by l'4attia Pasini, with his Master-MVA Aprilia team- mate Alvaro Bautista and pole starter Lukas Pesek and his Derbi almost along- side, The near dead heat came after the last two laps on which they had changed places several times, all reluctant to lead into the last coTner. lt wirs Pesek who drew the short straw, allowing the others to draft alongside over the line. "l watched the others round the track, and lthouSht I could win. But, anyway, I had so much fun," said a iubilant Pasini, after a home GP win. Baurista and Pesek were also glowing with the fun of it all, the former happy for placing second to his teammate after the positions had been reversed at his own home GP at lerez, and that his title lead over sixth-placed Kallio had extended. "l'4aybe I thouSht a bit too much about the last lap," Pesek said. The atmosphere was electric by the time the bi8 race began. Capirossi and Hayden got away slowly, with Gibemau leading the sprint to turn one. Before they'd reached the third turn, there was a roar from the crowd - Rossi was in front! l"lelandri was third at the end of the lap, overtaking Shinya Nakano on the lirst run - f I I I *T t il t I I I I tr/ /u. I Dunlop took another batterint after t}le race, when Pramac team boss Luis d'Antin issued a statenrent threatening legal action, on the grounds that Tech 3 Yamaha rlder Cados Checa had been ofJered a different choice oftire than hls own riders- "Follow- ing our point oI view lthis] doesn't respect the signed agreemer(s with Dunlop," he said. "lt only remains me to ask Dunlop the immediate and ihtetrate completion ofthe undeEi8ned aSreement. Otherwise I will be forc€d to be8in the legal actions," the state- ment read, Dunlop was unavailable for comment, but Tech 3 team boss Herve Poncharrl !aid: 'lt is normel Wh€n wE were with Michelin, we did not get the same tires as Valentino Rossi." The Dunlop tires are cominS lrom a lower position in racing than their ri\Ials, but Dunlog has pledged increased investment and tha! it will make an effort to improve. RacinS observers noted that the Pramac d'Antin team's results had not often been a great deal betterwhen they had l4ichelin tires. Valentino Ro$i had yet another new- chassis Mugello, but he el€cted to stay with the first redesign, as raced at Le Mans, and improved in tests after that race. Both he and Yamaha denied that it was simply last year's motorcycle. "lt is an evolulion," said Rossi. But the feelint was like last year's bike, he said. "lt is not the old bike. but it is the new bike that is older than the other new bike," he said with a smile. "From Le Mans, we have changed our tituating, and the bike is coming back !o normal, and giv- in8 the normal feelint-" The chatter was still present, but it was "iust normal chatter. that you can expect," he noted, "The last problem we have ir with qualirying tires, so to get on the front row of the taid was an important srep for us." E Fermri and.lim Morrison, with other char- acters like nry dog Guldo, Osvaldo the Chicken, and lots o, beautiful women. ' His bike also carried a new design for his dog Guido. Suffounded by ice at Le Mans, the do8 is now in an igloo, with the legend "minus-4z" - Rorri's points deficit. Ducati also raced in a special livery for its home GP with bikes and riders decked out in the red, white and treen ofthe ltalian flag. They were celebrating the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the compa- ny, the 60th since they began motorcycle production, and the 50th since rhey adopt- ed desmodromic,lralves. CYCLE NEWS . JUNE 14,2006 39 r lf-L' r\ I Briefly... ra E a As usual, Rossi had a special helmet d€ritn for his home GP - covered with drawings by famous ltalian car- toonist Milo ln4ana- ta. "lt is a mythical story of my life, with some of my heroes, like Steve McQueen, Enzo British 250cc rider Chaz Davies has fallen on the wrong side ofa sponsorship dispute wirh his Campetella ream and has los( his Continued on pdge 4i n i z'r -t T A -i !,{r ;" . ,.{m !-.- 'a '{!! "t d .'l 5r .a" \ I (Abovc) fhc rscc come down to lhreer Rossi (46) vs. Lorir Copirossi (55) vr. Ni.ky Hoyden (69). (Le{t} Ihe Ducotis of Copirosri ond Gibernou rqn in old-srhool

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