Italian Superstar
Valentino Rossi raced to his third win in four MotoGP races this season
with a calculated victory in the French Grand Prix, run at Le Mans, today.
The 28 lap race was red flagged after 21 laps, rain falling at the back
of the circuit. When the red flag was thrown Rossi and his REPSOL Honda-mate
Tohru Ukawa were holding the top two places, half a second clear of Max
Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha).
Norrick Abe (Antena Tre Yamaha) took a fine fourth place 1.5 seconds down
on Rossi and a massive seven seconds ahead of Kenny Roberts (Telephonic
MoviStar Suzuki). Nobuatsu Aoki got a terrific start on the Proton KR and
finished a superb sixth. West Honda Pons riders Loris Capirossi and Alex
Barros were next home in seventh and eighth places respectively.
Fonsi Nieto (Telefonica MoviStar Aprilia) took his second consecutive 250cc
grand prix win to end Honda's run of nine wins in a row. Nieto shadowed
early leaders Roberto Locatelli (Tu Racing Aprilia) and Marco Melandri (MS
Aprilia) before moving into the lead. Once in front he fought out a tremendous
duel with Melandri. Nieto led at the end of each lap until the finish but
Melandri headed the Spaniard out on the track. The decision went to Nieto
half way round the last lap when he cut inside Melandri and held him off
until the flag.
Randy de Puniet won a last lap sprint to the line to push Locatelli back
into fourth. Roberto Rolfo took fifth for Team Fortuna Honda Gresini, with
teammate Emilio Alzamora in seventh place.
Lucio Cecchinello (Safilo Oxydo Aprilia) won the 125cc grand prix, his second
successive victory. The diminutive Italian did not buckle under the constant
pressure applied by world champion Manuel Poggiali (Gilera) and fast finishing
Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team). The win edged Cecchinello
closer to series leader Arnaud Vincent (Imola Circuit Aprilia) who finished
fourth in the race. Masao Azuma had run a heroic race to get back on terms
after losing several places, but made a hash of the last turn and ended
the race fifth.
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