From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE – LE MANS
16TH MAY 2004 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI AT LE MANS

The Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team suffered cruelly at the hands of Lady Luck at Le Mans this afternoon, with Alex Hofmann and Shinya Nakano both forced to retire from the French Grand Prix as a result of mechanical problems.

Alex Hofmann’s race lasted just five laps before a sudden loss of power and a sliding rear end alerted the Fuchs Kawasaki rider to a problem with his Ninja ZX-RR. A glance down at the oil on his boot was enough to let the 23-year-old German rider know his race was run, and he immediately pulled off the track to avoid dropping oil on the racing line.

After a bad start, Shinya Nakano had worked his way through the field to 11th place when a fractured oil line deposited a film of oil over the rear tyre of his Ninja ZX-RR and, like his teammate before him, the 26-year-old Japanese rider was forced to retire from the race and start the long walk back to the paddock.

Although obviously disappointed with the bad luck that befell both his riders today, team boss Harald Eckl is confident the run of form that saw Nakano qualify twice on the second row of the grid, and claim the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team’s first top ten finish of the year at Jerez, would return for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello in two week’s time.

Alex Hofmann: Retired (lap 6)
“This is definitely one weekend I want to forget. My crew worked really hard to rebuild both bikes overnight and after setting my fastest lap of the weekend in morning warm up hopes were high for this afternoon’s race. I didn’t get such a good start, but I’d settled into a rhythm and started working my way up the field when the rear started sliding around and the engine suddenly lost power, leaving me with no other option but to retire. I’m so frustrated, not just for myself but also for my crew. The boys have worked real hard this weekend and they didn’t deserve to be repaid with a mechanical failure in the race. Hopefully we can put this weekend behind us and concentrate on preparing for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello in two week’s time.”

Shinya Nakano: Retired (lap 16)
“It just wasn’t our day today. I had a few problems with the clutch and struggled to get the bike off the line at the start, which dropped me back down the field. I managed to work my way back through the pack in the early stages of the race, and by the halfway point I was convinced that there was a realistic chance of a top ten finish. I knew I had a problem when the rear tyre started sliding badly, but it was only when my foot kept slipping off the footpeg that I realised there was oil on my boot. I didn’t want to risk a crash, nor cause anyone else problems, so I pulled off the track. It’s disappointing, but this is a new bike and we’re competing at the very highest level, so the odd problem is to be expected. On a positive note, the bike matched up well against the opposition when I was coming through the field, so we’re definitely moving in the right direction in terms of development.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“Without a doubt this has been a very disappointing weekend for us, and I just hope that we’ve had a whole season’s worth of bad luck in one go and that the rest of the year will be easier. It looks like we’re going to be very busy in the two weeks before the Italian Grand Prix, but I’m confident that we’ll come back stronger than ever at Mugello.”


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

CHECA RETURNS TO PODIUM AFTER BRILLIANT FIGHT IN LE MANS

Carlos Checa took second in the French Grand Prix today after a close-fought race in Le Mans. His Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi was unable to overcome the set-up problems he battled with all weekend but still finished a strong fourth.

Checa had a good start from second place on the grid, immediately taking the lead, with Rossi in third. Pole-sitter Sete Gibernau (Honda) gradually closed the gap from behind his fellow Spaniard and overtook Checa on lap eleven, increasing his lead throughout the fight to take his second successive Grand Prix win. Max Biaggi (Honda) overtook Rossi on the next lap and began to gain on Checa who rode a hard race to fend him off, eventually crossing the line just three tenths of a second ahead. Rossi closed the gap between him and Biaggi considerably in the closing stages with some brave moves, passing him momentarily on lap 25 but unable to stay ahead. After three races Rossi holds on to third place in the World Championship standings while Checa moves up to fifth.

CARLOS CHECA (2nd)

“I am so happy to be on the podium once more; it has been a long time. We knew that this year we had a chance to do well; we made some big improvements to the bike over the winter and I have started the year with a good feeling. Even in Jerez I felt good, although the weather changed everything on race day. I need to keep going like this; this result will help me, the team and Yamaha. It gives me confidence and the season has only just started so I aim to continue improving – I hope that next I can fight to win a race. My start was very good and I tried to keep the gap but I couldn’t get away from Sete. When he passed me I tried to stay with him but he was faster. Near the end I had to pass some people at the back and I don’t think they had seen the blue flags – it was quite scary with Max so close behind me! Valentino had some problems during the weekend and wasn’t able to ride to his full potential, but he has made a big difference pre-season and I am sure that at the next race he will be there. Now I am really looking forward to Mugello.”

VALENTINO ROSSI (4th)

“That was a really difficult race. The bike just didn’t feel right all weekend, especially with the braking. I had a different feeling at the start of the warm-up lap with the new electronic system and the bike stopped. When everything goes well with this bike then it is very easy to ride, but here set-up difficulties have made it more tricky. We’ve spent two days trying to fix the problems but unfortunately it has not been possible for this race; we need some more time to work it out. We have organised a one-day test tomorrow so I hope that we will be able to fix the problem then. Carlos was very strong today and he has more experience than me with this bike. We are not too far behind and Mugello is going to be a brilliant fight.”

ANTONIO JIMENEZ – CARLOS CHECA’S CREW CHIEF

“What can I say? I am so happy because our expectation was to be on the podium and it worked. We were leading for many laps but second is still a good result. It is great to start the early part of the season like this. The tracks we go to next, Mugello and Barcelona, are very good circuits for Carlos and he is feeling very positive. We need more races like this and our target now is victory.”


More, from a press release issued by d’Antin MotoGP:

Mixed fortunes for Xaus and Hodgson
[16.05.2004]

There were differing fortunes for the D’Antin MotoGP riders in the Grand Prix of France. On the one hand, Ruben Xaus managed to finish his first race of the season and claim his first points by finishing 14th, whilst by contrast his team-mate, Neil Hodgson, fell on the first lap – fracturing two ribs.


RUBEN XAUS also fell during the race but managed to get back on and finish: “I have been racing for many years but I learnt a lot today by finishing the race after a weekend in which the conditions have been good, allowing us to do some important work. I got away well but I tried to take it calmly and even more so when I saw Neil fall. Today I rode the Desmosedici with new tyres and a full tank and it took me a while to adapt. I was twelfth when I fell, but I got back on the bike and returned to the race even though I think I was lapped after three more laps. I saw that my lap times weren’t too bad and about halfway through the race I began to feel comfortable on the bike and I was able to finish. I am happy with that, but most of all about what I have learnt. However, there is still a lot more to learn.”

NEIL HODGSON leaves empty handed once again and faces a race against time to recover for the next race after suffering two broken ribs. “It was two corners from the end of the lap and I felt the front end start to slide. I went down in instalments and Hopkins and Abe came with me. I think one of the bikes hit me and broke my two ribs, as well as cutting my arm, which needed a couple of stitches. It is painful but I’m okay and I’ll just try and relax over the next couple of weeks to get fit for Mugello.”

Team Manager LUIS D´ANTIN commented: “Rubén crashed today but returned to the track and demonstrated with his lap times that he could have been fighting in the top ten. Neil will need a bit of time to recover but luckily it’s not such a bad injury. We’re having a tough time at the start of this season and it’s frustrating because in the team we know the potential our riders have and we want them to be able to show it.”


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Max Biaggi on the podium in France after a spectacular race

Another precious podium for Max Biaggi, who took third place at the French Grand Prix this afternoon after a stunning race which saw the four-time World Champion set the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap. After losing a couple of positions in the opening exchanges of the race, Max set a strong rhythm and recovered to challenge for victory. A tough battle with Rossi, spectacular as always, made him lose ground on the front two. A last attempt from Max to wrest second from Checa, on the last lap, was prevented hoever by lapped riders getting in his way. However, three podiums in three races and second in the overall standings are the signs of a superb start to the season for Max and his yellow RC211V. Makoto Tamada finished ninth which he is certain to build on in Mugello, a race he is bound to go particularly well in.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“In the first few laps of the race Max took a bit of time to get into the perfect race rhythm, and then in the middle part he had to work hard to make up the gap. Max made an exciting burst up the field, and has shown strength, talent and determination. The great battle with Rossi meant he lost time on the two front riders, so he helped them a bit. Max kept trying to the end, making some exceptional times in the process, but this is good, an important podium. Our best races are still to come, and it’s only the start of the championship.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 3rd – 44’24.658
“It was a good race, hard fought and difficult. In the first few laps I lost a few seconds on my rivals because I made a different tyre choice to them. Taking a medium rear rather than a softer one. It wasn’t an error though because it was adapted to the compromises we made in the set-up to reduce the chatter problem. I had to open the throttle carefully trying to get the most power without getting a wheelie out of the front. I got into a good rhythm and closed up on Checa, even trying to pass him a few times, right until the end, when a group of lapped riders got between me and Carlos and I couldn’t do anything to take second place. I’m satisfied nonetheless with my race, and we’ll try for the win again in Mugello.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“After the team had put in some good work during tests we certainly hoped to get a better result here, because we were conscious of having got a good balance on our RC211V. Ninth place in the end, we can’t be satisfied with this. This is just the second dry race and the results in terms of times aren’t that different from when we went at Welkom, as regards the distance by the end of the race. It’s clear that there is still a way to go before reaching a competitive level. We also need to work hard together with Bridgestone to get tyres which perform more consistently around the various circuits, and which will then get Makoto in the best position to show what he is capable of, as he did towards the end of last year.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres) – 9th – 44’55.914
“I still have to improve my starts because I lose ground straight away. Even so I am happy with the set-up of the bike that we found after Jerez and again here today. The track temperature was higher today than the rest of the weekend and I wasn’t able to get as good a grip as the other riders all the way to the end. I know we are making improvements and I can’t wait to get to Mugello.”


More, from a press release issused by Proton Team KR:

Kurtis Roberts takes first points at Le Mans

Nobuatsu Aoki: 17th
Kurtis Roberts: 15th

Proton Team KR rider Kurtis Roberts took his first MotoGP finish in today’s French GP, and claimed his first World Championship point in his rookie season, after prevailing in a race-long battle with fellow rookie Michel Fabrizio.

Team-mate Nobuatsu Aoki also finished the race after starting from pit lane – but out of the points in 17th place. He had been closing on Kurtis and Fabrizio, but his chance of repeating his scoring finish at the Spanish GP two weeks ago was spoiled when he had to slow when the leaders came past in the closing stages, engaged in a fierce battle of their own.

This was the first race for the latest version of the England-built 990cc V5 motor – a reworked machine with a longer stroke than the original. Kurtis raced this engine, which also has the revised firing order, also making its track debut; Aoki raced with the new firing order but the original shorter-stroke.

It was Kurtis’s first finish of the season, after suffering a dislocated shoulder in pre-season tests. He withdrew from the first race in South Africa, and retired from the Spanish GP.

Aoki’s race was a triumph over adversity. On the out lap before the grid formation, he had trouble, and pitted to change to his spare machine. That also gave trouble, so he pitted again, switched back to his now-repaired first bike, and started the race at the back of the field from pit lane.

The race was won by Spanish Honda rider Sete Gibernau, his second win in succession. Compatriot Carlos Checa (Yamaha) was second, and Honda-mounted Max Biaggi a close third. The race was run in hot sunny conditions, and watched by more than 75,500 fans. The next round is the Italian GP at Mugello, in three weeks.

Nobuatsu Aoki
On the out lap, my clutch was slipping, so I came in to get the other bike – but on the warm-up lap that wasn’t working so well, so I came back into the pits to change again, and start from pit lane. The first ten laps were really hard – the rear tyre that worked well yesterday had no grip today. I was struggling with my lap time a second slower than I expected. The situation improved a little after ten laps, but then it was too late. Towards the end I was closing on Kurtis and I thought I could make it. Then the top four guys came up, and I slowed to let them past, and my chance was gone. But we finished, and we hope for better luck next time.

Kurtis Roberts
Finally I got a race done. My arm’s a bit sore now . it’s the first time it’s done that many laps. Our problem now is we can’t push the bike because we don’t have the grip. You can ride it to 70 percent, but if you do any more you go slower, because it starts sliding all over the place, right from the start of the race. But we finished one, and got a little bit of experience. Now we need to make the bike work better with the grip level we have right now.

Kenny Roberts – Team Principal
The new bore and stroke finished the race, so that was interesting. Now we have a couple of weeks to get the performance levels up, and we need better tyres. By the time we’re ready maybe Dunlop will have better stuff, and we’ll carry on working our way up. The tyres have improved already, but we’re starting from a low level, and it’s going to take a while. It’s going to take us a while with the engine too, but we made a pretty big step here with the new configuration. I think that will help us.


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

Jeremy McWilliams scored his first MotoGP world championship points of the season in today’s 28-lap French GP at the famous Le Mans circuit.

The MS Aprilia Racing rider produced a typically battling display on his RS Cube to finish in 13th position, even though he was penalised for jumping the start. McWilliams had fought his way up to 14th position by lap 17 after starting 18th on the grid before he lost two places with the jump start penalty. Under new MotoGP rules, riders now have to complete a run through the pitlane rather than a 10-second stop/go penalty.

Despite losing crucial time, McWilliams fought his way back into the top 15 and eventually brought his RS Cube him to score three world championship points. “I am very happy with that because I really needed to score some points. It was a bit of a drama with the penalty flag. It is too close to the exit of the last corner and I just didn’t see it. I then saw my team telling me to pit so I thought there was a problem with the bike and slowed right down. I was looking down but couldn’t see anything so I though I’d just carry on. It wasn’t until I pulled into the pitlane and saw the team waving me through that I realised what had happened and there was actually no problem with the bike, “said the British rider.

With Aprilia’s home race fast approaching at the Mugello circuit in Italy, today’s result was a huge confidence boost for McWilliams. And the MS Aprilia team will be back to full strength in Mugello, with Shane Byrne due to return after he missed the Le Mans race while still suffering from a broken right hand. Shakey is returning to England tomorrow (and maybe next week to Italy with Clinica Mobile’s doctors) for treatment that will see him back to 100 per cent fitness for Mugello.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Ducati Marlboro men make top ten at Le Mans

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss finished this afternoon’s sun-soaked French Grand Prix at Le Mans in eighth and tenth positions. The pair rode dogged races in the heat, securing valuable World Championship points and gaining crucial data that will help them continue the process of developing the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4.

“We are still not that close to the leaders, but also not so far,” said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “We obviously have a lot of work ahead of us. We also have plenty of ideas about improving our 2004 machine, and we stay here to test the bike tomorrow alongside two 2003 models which we have had built up. This comparison test is important for us, and it should help us to better understand our 2004 bike, which should speed up development. My thanks to the riders, the team, the factory, our sponsors and our technical partners Michelin and Shell Advance for helping us to move forward.”

Bayliss improves to eight
Troy Bayliss produced a typically gritty performance at Le Mans today, coming through from a fourth-row start to finish eighth. The Australian ran tenth for the first few laps, then started making steady forward progress as he got comfortable aboard his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4, setting his fastest lap at two-thirds distance.

“I got going by mid-distance and the bike felt as good as it had all weekend on race tyres,” he said. “It took me a while to find the limit, then once I’d found it, I started forcing it in places I probably shouldn’t have! But I felt okay pushing hard. Tomorrow’s test is pretty important for us. It should be interesting to understand a few things. Ducati only cares about lap times, and they’ll support us to improve our performances.”

Capirossi rides dogged race to tenth
Loris Capirossi finished tenth today to put himself eighth in the World Championship points standings. Starting from ninth on the grid, the Ducati Marlboro Team man ran strongly early on, holding sixth spot at the end of the first lap, but he couldn’t maintain that pace as the race wore on. Nevertheless he did finish the weekend with the highest top speed, his GP4 clocking 308.6kmh during today’s race.

“Undoubtedly this isn’t the best result ever,” said the Italian after another determined ride. “Things weren’t perfect, so I just tried to finish and get as many points as possible, just like I did at the first two races. We have an important test here tomorrow. As everyone knows we will test our 2003 machine alongside this year’s bike. The new machine has good points and it has bad points, the idea of the test is to help us understand in what areas we can best improve this year’s bike.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

HOPKINS SKITTLED AS ROBERTS SCORES
Team Suzuki Press Office, Le Mans, France – May 16, 2004:

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr. finished in the points for a second successive race at today’s French GP, going one better than his qualifying position to claim 12th in a torrid race, run in bright sunshine in front of a fervent crowd of 75,500 at the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans.

Team-mate John Hopkins had a day to forget. The American rider, who turns 21 next Saturday, was skittled in a three-bike pile-up before he’d even finished the first of 28 laps of the 4.180km circuit. The innocent victim of another rider’s mistake. Hopkins fractured his left thumb in the crash, a repeat of his Le Mans jinx.

Roberts’s race started well, finishing the first lap in eighth, which he held for the first three laps. Then he was overwhelmed, short of the engine response and grip he needed to maintain his position. The 2000 World Champion continued to lap steadily, keeping out of trouble to secure another finish in the points.

Both Suzuki riders had tested a modified engine two weeks before the race, with promising results. The modifications are not yet race ready, however, and the machines they raced in today’s third race of the year were the same as at the start of the season.

Today’s race brought a second successive victory to championship points leader Sete Gibernau.

The next race, the Italian GP at Mugello, is in three weeks time, boosting Hopkins’s hopes that he can be fit to race there.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr – 12th Position:
“Like I said in practice, the team and the engineers and everybody here did the best job that we could with what we’ve got at the moment. We could really use the new parts and some more grip. “

JOHN HOPKINS – Did Not Finish – Crash:
“I got a good start and it was the first race in a while that I gained positions on the first lap instead of losing them. I was right behind Neil Hodgson and Norick Abe going into the left-hander before the last double rights – on the outside of them. My plan was to go up the inside into the next corners. Then Hodgson high-sided and knocked Abe down, and there was nowhere for me to go except right over the two bikes. I did a barrel roll. It sucks. I got a fine this morning for stopping on the track in practice, and broke my thumb in the afternoon. Now it’s a waiting game to see if I’ll be fit for the next race.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager:
“Kenny gave it his best, as always. Everything he says is right and we know the factory is working flat out on improvements, which is all we can ask. Both he and John made good starts so it was especially unfortunate to see John on the ground through no fault of his own. Dr Costa immediately put his thumb in a cast. Luckily there is a bit of a break before Mugello and we’ll discuss a plan of action with Dean Miller to be ready for the next race.”


More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS FRACTURES THUMB IN LE MANS CRASH

LE MANS, France (May 16, 2004) – John Hopkins’ luck at the French Motorcycle Grand Prix went from bad to worse on Sunday. The Suzuki GP rider was caught up in a chain reaction accident that began on the first lap with a crash by Ducati’s Neil Hodgson. Hopkins, along with Norick Abe, could not avoid the fallen Hodgson and all three riders fell. The accident resulted in a fractured left thumb for Hopkins.

“I got a good start and had moved up into the top 10,” Hopkins said. “Two corners from the end of the lap I lined up a little bit on the outside of the turn to set up for another pass and Hodgson high-sided, then Abe nailed him and all I saw was a pile of bikes and bodies with no place to go.”

After the accident Hopkins was checked by medical personnel and it was confirmed that his thumb was broken.

“It’s not going to cause me to miss any races, hopefully,” Hopkins said. “I’m sure it’s going to be painful, but I plan on racing at Mugello in three weeks.”

Hopkins drops to 16th in the world standings. The next round is the Italian Grand Prix on June 6.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

French Grand Prix at Le Mans

Raceday, Sunday May 16, 2004

GIBERNAU SIGNALS TITLE INTENT WITH RESOUNDING WIN

The day belonged to Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) who, despite a raging fever, rampaged to a dominant win over a resurgent Carlos Checa (Yamaha) with Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) third in front of a packed Le Mans crowd of 75,000 sun-drenched race fans.

Checa made the holeshot and slung his machine into the Dunlop chicane at the end of the main straight inches in front of Sete Gibernau, with Max in close pursuit. Valentino Rossi was right up with them and as the pack gradually stretched itself out there was still incident to come on the opening lap.

Ducati rider Neil Hodgson lost the back end of his machine with Norick Abe (Yamaha) and John Hopkins (Suzuki) close by – too close to take any avoiding action and prevent the three of them sliding into the gravel trap. Hopkins broke a thumb, Hodgson two ribs, while Abe was unhurt.

While the unlucky trio left the track for treatment, Checa set about installing himself as race leader and Gibernau was happy to keep him in sight as the 28-lap contest settled into a rhythm. As Max Biaggi had predicted, that rhythm was nowhere near as quick as the qualifying laps might have suggested. Indeed it was Biaggi who eventually recorded the fastest lap at 1m 33.425s on his penultimate lap.

Rossi dived inside Max to take third at the final turn on lap one and within another two laps it was clear that Checa, Gibernau, Rossi and Biaggi would be the riders involved in the scrap for podium places. But Gibernau was not prepared to wait until the end to make his move and the Spaniard edged past his countryman Checa at the right hand Garage Vert turn on lap 11 when the Yamaha man ran wide.

Meantime Max was unprepared to let the leading duo run clear and he made his way past Rossi two laps later to mount a challenge to the top two. Rossi knew if he could hang onto Max he could get a tow towards the front with him. But a mistake on lap 16 looked to have made his task too hard. He would eventually finish three and half seconds adrift of Max in fourth – but not without a final effort to get on terms.

The last three laps were frantic as backmarkers entered the equation but Gibernau’s comfortable 2.2 second cushion over Checa was never threatened. Rossi however would bite back at Max on lap 26, but it was just the spur Max needed to set that fastest lap and take the sting out of Rossi’s frantic final attack.

“I have to thank Honda for their efforts,” said Gibernau. “They helped us understand some of the problems we’d been having at the first two Grands Prix which has got us going in the right direction. I had a fever and it was a very hard race. Carlos rode well but I passed him at half-distance and was able to open up a gap.”

Max was philosophical about his third place. “That was tough,” he said. “I had many duels with Rossi and I ran a soft tyre which turned out to be the best way to handle the whole race. I had a good duel with Checa too – but the win was beyond me today.”

Colin Edwards (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) endured front-end problems but still managed a fifth-placed finish. “The problem is temperature,” he said. “When it gets hotter the front end is not so good. We’re going to Michelin’s test facility to try and work out a solution. Apart from that everything feels good.”

Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) finished seventh. “The lights seemed to be on for a long time and when they eventually turned off, my clutch was going and I lost a few places. Then I nearly got caught in the crash on the first lap and had to concentrate and work my way up the field. I’m obviously not pleased with the result but I’m happy to have climbed from 13th to seventh.”

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres was eighth. “I’ve got to improve my starts and get right on the pace in the first few laps. Today the temperature was higher and we lost a bit of grip compared to yesterday. I just couldn’t run at the pace required to catch the others.”

An 11th place finish was not what Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) wanted. “I’m real disappointed. The weekend started out so good then we found it really difficult to go forward. Everything we tried with the bike and myself didn’t seem to work. We stayed pretty much the same all weekend and everyone else got faster. I guess we’ve got to look forward and learn from here.”

Gibernau heads the points table as the next race at Mugello looms in three weeks time. He has 66 points to Biaggi’s 56 with Rossi on 51.

Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW) underlined his class in the 250 race with a comprehensive start to finish victory over local hopeful Randy de Puniet (Aprilia). Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) was a distant third.

Pedrosa took the holeshot from pole position and was never headed throughout the 26-lap race. The young Spaniard looked smooth and unruffled as he set about destroying the ambitions of his pursuers. By mid-race he held a five second advantage over de Puniet, who in turn led Sebastian Porto by seven seconds.

But Porto fell on lap 18 and could not rejoin the race. Other notable fallers included Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) who went down at the first chicane on lap one, only to remount and then retire. Reigning World Champion Manuel Poggiali (Aprilia) fell on the second lap at turn two.

Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW) had inherited third place when Porto fell, but the persistent Elias got past him for third in the closing laps and the Japanese rookie had to settle for fourth after fighting of a challenge from Alex de Angelis (Aprilia). Pedrosa’s winning margin was 7.7 seconds. This is now his second win in three races in the 250cc class.

“That was a great race,” said Pedrosa. “But it difficult and long and I got into a good rhytm with a bike that was fast and constant in its behaviour. I have to thank the team for providing me with that. I’m lucky to be on the podium again after only three races.”

Elias knew he’d been lucky to get third. “Porto