Catalunya - Rossi Again!

[f1manoz]

MotoGP Results

01 46 ROSSI Honda 0'00"000
02 11 UKAWA Honda 0'00"880 + 0'00"880
03 7 CHECA Yamaha MYT 0'08"531 + 0'08"531
04 3 BIAGGI Yamaha MYT 0'11"918 + 0'11"918
05 4 BARROS Honda Pons 0'22"382 + 0'22"382
06 65 CAPIROSSI Honda Pons 0'30"096 + 0'30"096
07 10 ROBERTS Jr Suzuki 0'31"525 + 0'31"525
08 74 KATOH Honda Gresini 0'33"912 + 0'33"912
09 19 JACQUE Yamaha Tech3 0'36"847 + 0'36"847
10 21 HOPKINS Yamaha Red Bull 0'51"580 + 0'51"580
11 33 RYO Suzuki 0'53"303 + 0'53"303
12 99 McWILLIAMS Proton 0'57"585 + 0'57"585
13 31 HARADA Honda Pramac 1'01"823 + 1'01"823
14 55 LACONI Aprilia 1'03"002 + 1'03"002
15 20 RIBA Yamaha D'Antin 2 lap(s)
16 6 ABE Yamaha D'Antin 2 lap(s)
17 66 HOFMANN Yamaha Red Bull 2 lap(s)
18 15 GIBERNAU Suzuki 19 lap(s)
19 9 AOKI Proton 23 lap(s)
20 17 VD GOORBERGH Honda Kanemoto 25 lap(s)
21 56 NAKANO Yamaha Tech3 25 lap(s)

Valentino Rossi won his 5th race in 6 races by claiming victory at Catalunya, but it wasn't all his own way as Carlos Checa led for much of the first half of the race and then Rossi had to resist intense pressure from team-mate Tohru Ukawa towards the end of the race.

Poleman Biaggi struggled from the outset and only finished fourth, well behind the three front men. However, Yamaha have made encouraging progress over the past month, and seem able to match the Honda over a lap but it's a different story over a race distance.

Alex Barros led home the 2-stroke brigade by coming in 5th and earns my RIDER OF THE RACE by making his super-soft tyres last the entire distance in very hot conditions. He and team-mate Loris Capirossi duelled almost the entire race.

Also impressive was John Hopkins. After a sensational qualifying, he came home 10th in a mature ride.

250cc Race

01 3 MELANDRI APRILIA 0'00"000
02 4 ROLFO HONDA 0'02"193 + 0'02"193
03 10 NIETO APRILIA 0'02"689 + 0'02"689
04 17 DE PUNIET APRILIA 0'02"950 + 0'02"950
05 21 BATTAINI APRILIA 0'04"538 + 0'04"538
06 27 STONER APRILIA 0'23"101 + 0'23"101
07 8 MATSUDO YAMAHA 0'23"215 + 0'23"215
08 18 YUZI YAMAHA 0'23"374 + 0'23"374
09 7 ALZAMORA HONDA 0'24"586 + 0'24"586
10 24 ELIAS APRILIA 0'30"721 + 0'30"721
11 11 AOKI HONDA 0'37"908 + 0'37"908
12 42 CHECA APRILIA 0'38"456 + 0'38"456
13 6 DEBON APRILIA 0'40"607 + 0'40"607
14 51 MARCHAND APRILIA 1'00"034 + 1'00"034
15 22 JARA APRILIA 1'02"087 + 1'02"087
16 76 SEKIGUCHI YAMAHA 1'02"410 + 1'02"410
17 25 PHILIPPE APRILIA 1'02"643 + 1'02"643
18 19 HASLAM HONDA 1'09"785 + 1'09"785
19 12 VINCENT HONDA 1'17"851 + 1'17"851
20 32 FAUBEL APRILIA 1'30"113 + 1'30"113
21 28 HEIDOLF APRILIA 1'31"937 + 1'31"937
22 41 JANSSEN HONDA 1'47"797 + 1'47"797
23 34 BATAILLE HONDA 16 lap(s)
24 15 LOCATELLI APRILIA 18 lap(s)
25 9 PORTO YAMAHA 19 lap(s)

Marco Melandri won his second race in succession, and third of the year, in another dominant display on his Aprilia and he closed the gap further to championship leader Nieto. Marco never looked in danger throughout the entire race in another mature display, setting quickest laps to pull out a substantial gap. For his display, Marco earned my RIDER OF THE RACE.

Roberto Rolfo came through the field to take second place in a charging display, although had to fend off Nieto and company for the final part of the race. Surely his first win is not far off. Nieto finished third in a steady ride.

Australia's Casey Stoner finished 6th in another brilliant display of riding and held off the advances of riders of much more experience for the last lap. The young lad is starting to show speed mixed with maturity.

125cc Race

01 1 POGGIALI GILERA 0'00"000
02 26 PEDROSA HONDA 0'00"019 + 0'00"019
03 17 JENKER APRILIA 0'09"888 + 0'09"888
04 4 CECCHINELLO APRILIA 0'15"397 + 0'15"397
05 16 SANNA APRILIA 0'15"452 + 0'15"452
06 25 OLIVE HONDA 0'15"486 + 0'15"486
07 33 BIANCO APRILIA 0'15"549 + 0'15"549
08 22 NIETO APRILIA 0'16"218 + 0'16"218
09 36 KALLIO HONDA 0'22"762 + 0'22"762
10 6 GIANSANTI HONDA 0'22"839 + 0'22"839
11 21 VINCENT APRILIA 0'23"067 + 0'23"067
12 50 BALLERINI HONDA 0'23"134 + 0'23"134
13 7 PERUGINI ITALJET 0'43"345 + 0'43"345
14 48 LORENZO DERBI 0'43"973 + 0'43"973
15 5 AZUMA HONDA 0'47"189 + 0'47"189
16 18 SMRZ HONDA 0'47"333 + 0'47"333
17 32 SCALVINI APRILIA 0'52"000 + 0'52"000
18 80 BARBERA ARPILIA 1'11"358 + 1'11"358
19 31 ANGELONI GILERA 1'11"488 + 1'11"488
20 19 BALDOLINI APRILIA 1'21"603 + 1'21"603
21 39 HULES APRILIA 1'21"681 + 1'21"681
22 52 SIMON HONDA 1'31"723 + 1'31"723
23 20 TOTH HONDA 1'31"794 + 1'31"794
24 24 CAMIER ITALJET 1 lap(s)
25 57 DAVIES APRILIA 4 lap(s)
26 84 FABRIZIO GILERA 8 lap(s)
27 41 UI DERBI 9 lap(s)
28 15 DE ANGELIS APRILIA 9 lap(s)
29 47 RODRIGUEZ APRILIA 18 lap(s)
30 23 BORSOI APRILIA 22 lap(s)
31 34 DOVIZIOSO HONDA 22 lap(s)
32 44 BRANNETTI HONDA 22 lap(s)
33 51 BAUTISTA APRILIA 22 lap(s)

Manuel Poggiali has begun to take a stranglehold of the 125cc Championship after another closely fought win. After taking pole, Poggiali stayed with the lead group most of the race, though he almost came unstuck in the early laps after a brush with Olive(?)

Daniel Pedrosa, spurred on by the home ground, never lost ground to Poggiali and in the final laps the two pulled away from the field and engaged in a thrilling tussle. Pedrosa took the lead on the final lap and the crowd sensed an upset on the cards but the Gilera was the better bike and Pedrosa has to settle with second. But for his efforts, Pedrosa earns my RIDER OF THE RACE.

Jenkner finished a lonely third while Cecchinello kept his championship hopes alive with fourth.

Youichi Ui also disappointed yet again by crashing out when third and any hopes of another title shot have surely been dashed.