MotoGP 1. Valentino ROSSI, Italy, Yamaha, 25 laps, 43:16.487 2. Sete GIBERNAU, Spain, Honda, -1.094 seconds 3. Marco MELANDRI, Italy, Honda, -7.810 seconds 4. Alex BARROS, Brazil, Honda, -8.204 seconds 5. Nicky HAYDEN, USA, Honda, -8.273 seconds 6. Max BIAGGI, Italy, Honda, -12.051 seconds 7. Colin EDWARDS, USA, Yamaha, -18.762 seconds 8. Troy BAYLISS, Australia, Honda, -42.631 seconds 9. Shinya NAKANO, Japan, Kawasaki, -46.638 seconds 10. Ruben XAUS, Spain, Yamaha, -46.692 seconds 11. Carlos CHECA, Spain, Ducati, -60.357 seconds 12. Loris CAPIROSSI, Italy, Ducati, -63.864 seconds 13. David CHECA, Spain, Yamaha, -63.985 seconds 14. Roberto ROLFO, Italy, Ducati, -70.258 seconds 15. Kenny ROBERTS, USA, Suzuki, -83.731 seconds 16. Shane BYRNE, UK, Proton KR, -94.624 seconds 17. Alex HOFMANN, Germany, Kawasaki, -1 lap 18. James ELLISON, UK, Blata, -1 lap 19. Franco BATTAINI, Italy, Blata, -1 lap 20. John HOPKINS, USA, Suzuki, -9 laps, DNF, pitted 21. Makoto TAMADA, Japan, Honda, -20 laps, DNF 250cc 1. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 23 laps, 41:29.428 2. Casey STONER, Aprilia, -5.637 seconds 3. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, -10.597 seconds 4. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, -17.638 seconds 5. Simone CORSI, Aprilia, -19.499 seconds 6. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, -33.235 seconds, crash 7. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Honda, -37.408 seconds 8. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, -37.530 seconds 9. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, -42.814 seconds 10. Alex BALDOLINI, Aprilia, -43.611 seconds 125cc 1. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 22 laps, 41:15.125 2. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, -9.034 seconds 3. Mika KALLIO, KTM, -12.408 seconds 4. Gabor TALMACSI, KTM, -18.256 seconds 5. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA, Honda, -18.440 seconds 6. Manuel POGGIALI, Gilera, -18.544 seconds 7. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, -21.460 seconds 8. Julian SIMON, KTM, -21.566 seconds 9. Lorenzo ZANETTI, Aprilia, -29.029 seconds 10. Fabrizio LAI, Honda, -29.471 More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Rossi takes fifth win from six at Catalunya Valentino Rossi continued his incredible start to the 2005 MotoGP World Championship with his fifth victory from six rounds at the Gran Premi Gauloises de Catalunya on Sunday. In front of a record crowd of 105,698 fans at the Montmeló track on the outskirts of Barcelona, home favourite Sete Gibernau could do nothing to prevent a breathtaking charge to the line from the World Champion, who smashed the circuit record by almost 1.5 seconds with just three laps remaining to open up an insurmountable advantage as the chequered flag was prepared. “To do the fastest lap three laps from the end at a track like this is amazing – it was around two seconds faster than the last lap last year and it shows the fantastic job Michelin have done with tyre endurance,” explained Rossi, who was racing in front of a Spanish crowd for the first time since a controversial last-corner pass on Gibernau in the opening round of the season at Jerez. “I was a little worried before this weekend about the reaction from the crowd but I was so happy with the reception I got. It shows that motorcycle fans are the best kind and especially here in Spain, where it is always a pleasure to ride. The advantage in the championship is allowing the team to work in a relaxed way and we are having a lot of fun, which is an extra motivation in itself.” Marco Melandri remains second in the championship standings, 58 points behind Rossi, after clinching the final place on the podium for the second successive season at this track. The Italian youngster led the race in the combative early stages and was involved in a thrilling battle on the final few laps as he held off the attentions of Honda colleagues Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden, who were forced to settle for fourth and fifth place respectively. Max Biaggi did his best to get involved in the podium struggle but was some way adrift of Hayden in sixth place as he failed to follow up a strong showing in his home Grand Prix at Mugello last weekend, when he finished second. Biaggi remains third in the World Championship, four points clear of Gibernau and ten behind Melandri. Colin Edwards rode a lonely race to seventh place after struggling with tyre problems in the latter stages of the race, although by that time he had escaped an intense struggle for positions in the middle of the pack involving Troy Bayliss, Shinya Nakano and Rubén Xaus. Ducati pair Carlos Checa and Loris Capirossi had also formed part of the skirmish but dropped away drastically in the second half of the race, when they also encountered tyre troubles in rising temperatures at the notoriously demanding Spanish circuit. David Checa produced a stirring ride to finish in thirteenth place, just 3.5 seconds behind his brother Carlos in only his second MotoGP appearance. Checa’s performance was made all the more remarkable by the fact he missed the first day of practice as he waited on standby for Toni ElÃas, who attempted to ride through the pain of a broken wrist before eventually stepping aside on Friday evening. The final point-scoring positions were taken by Roby Rolfo and Kenny Roberts. Despite Gibernau’s disappointment in the MotoGP race there was plenty for the local crowd to celebrate in the 250cc class as Dani Pedrosa took his third straight victory by a comfortable margin of 5.637 seconds over Casey Stoner. Pedrosa was forced to battle his way through the pack in an explosive start to the race after stalling his bike on the line, his cause aided by crashes to front-runners Jorge Lorenzo, who broke his collarbone, and Alex de Angelis and a mechanical problem for Héctor Barberá. Stoner now moves up to second in the championship ahead of Andrea Dovizioso, who clinched a brave third place today after missing yesterday’s final qualifying practice due to injuries sustained in a high-speed morning crash. Mattia Pasini became the first rider to take two victories in the 125cc class this season with a dominant display in the day’s opening race, winning by a 9.034 second advantage over Marco Simoncelli and moving to the top of the championship by a single point ahead of Thomas Lüthi, who finished seventh. Mika Kallio completed the podium today and is now third in the rider standings, a further point behind Lüthi. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 Download PDF ROUND 6 – GRAN PREMI GAULOISES DE CATALUNYA 12 JUNE 2005 – MOTOGP RACE NAKANO FINISHES TOP TEN IN BARCELONA Shinya Nakano showed pure class to ride his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR into a brilliant ninth place under difficult circumstances in today’s Catalunya Grand Prix. Nakano was the first rider using Bridgestone tyres to finish the race, and just failed to hold what would have been a deserving eighth place in the final stages. Nakano’s brave fight against diminishing rear end grip forced him to unwillingly concede eighth position with two laps remaining of the 25-lap race, which was won by Valentino Rossi. Nakano started 12th and by lap six had charged into eighth place after passing a group of riders, including the Ducati of Loris Capirossi. For the next 18 laps Nakano controlled his top ten position with a stylish performance in hot and slippery conditions. This was Nakano’s fifth top ten result out of six races this season. The race was a huge disappointment for German rider Alex Hofmann, who has been out of luck since breaking his wrist in a promotional event more than two months ago. After an intense two days of tyre testing and set-up preparation, Hofmann was primed for a strong performance. However, his race was spoiled when tyre induced vibration at the rear of his Ninja ZX-RR forced the Kawasaki pilot to pit for a change of tyre. Hofmann had started the race with a slightly softer specification rear tyre compared to Nakano, but felt comfortable with his choice for the race having completed more than 20 laps on the same tyre earlier in the weekend. Hofmann’s pit crew made a fast rear tyre change to send their rider back out, to eventually complete the race in 17th position, one lap down. On his return to the race Hofmann said he was initially able to run at the pace of Colin Edwards and Max Biaggi, which only added to his feeling of frustration. Hofmann was having just his second race after an eight-week injury layoff. Today’s race was watched by a capacity crowd of 105,698, who again confirmed the massive following that the MotoGP World Championship has in Spain. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Ninth “I enjoyed the race, even though I would have preferred to hold off Bayliss at the end, but it was just not possible. Over the final ten laps it was very difficult for me to control the sliding of the rear tyre. But I was the first Bridgestone rider to finish, which showed that compared to other Bridgestone teams our set-up for the race was the best it had been all weekend. My start was fast and I pushed very hard in the opening laps and was able pass some riders, but then I had a lonely race just trying to score top ten points.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Seventeenth “My luck has gone missing for the past two months, after such a good start to the season at Jerez. After the warm-up this morning everything looked positive, but the tyre performance was not the same as in practice and after 12 laps I had to make a pit stop because of tyre induced vibration at the rear of the bike. Straight after the pit stop for five laps I was able to run at the same pace as Edwards and Biaggi, I just needed to be able to do that for the whole race.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “This was a tough race for Kawasaki given the track and tyre conditions today. But Shinya saved some important points with another determined ride. Shinya’s strong start and opening laps showed positive potential for the Ninja ZX-RR. It was not easy for Alex whose rear tyre was a softer compound compared to the tyre that Shinya used. The endurance was not quite what we expected, so he had no other choice but to make a pit stop for a fresh tyre.” More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: Catalunya Grand Prix Barcelona, Spain Sunday 12th June ROSSI EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH CATALUNYA VICTORY Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi re-ignited his love affair with the Spanish public today as he stormed to a fifth win from the opening six rounds of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in front of a record crowd of 105,698 at the Catalunya Grand Prix. After losing places in a combative opening to the race, the reigning World Champion stormed through the field to go head to head with home favourite and pole setter Sete Gibernau (Honda) in another nail-biting finish. Just as he had done with Max Biaggi at Mugello last weekend and Gibernau himself two weeks previously at Le Mans, Rossi timed his victory charge to perfection, passing the Spaniard with three laps remaining and setting a stunning time of 1’43.195, almost 1.5 seconds inside the previous circuit record, to open up a decisive advantage over the final two laps. Whilst Marco Melandri won a dramatic battle to the line for the final podium finish ahead of Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden (all Honda), Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards could only manage seventh place behind Biaggi (Honda). Despite showing podium pace through the weekend practice sessions, the American took a gamble with his tyre choice that backfired in the race as he struggled for rear grip at the demanding Spanish circuit. Despite today’s result Edwards remains sixth in the MotoGP World Championship, which is now led by Rossi with an advantage of 58 points over Melandri. VALENTINO ROSSI (1st 43’16.487) “The first lap was a hard fight with a lot of riders coming crazy, everybody wanted to be at the front and it was so much fun. Gibernau set a fast pace and I tried 100% to follow him. I had some problems on the right side of the tyre early in the race but Sete started to slide too. At the end it was difficult but the bike was so good into the corners and great fun to ride. To do the fastest lap three laps from the end at a track like this is amazing – my last lap was around two seconds faster than the last lap last year and it shows the fantastic job Michelin have done with tyre endurance. I was a little worried before this weekend about the reaction from the crowd but I was so happy with the reception I got. It shows that motorcycle fans are the best kind and especially here in Spain, where it is always a pleasure to ride. The advantage in the championship is allowing the team to work in a relaxed way and we are having a lot of fun, which is an extra motivation in itself.” COLIN EDWARDS (7th – +18.762) “We made a mistake by testing the race tyre yesterday morning when the temperatures were much cooler than they were this afternoon. We thought we were being sly by choosing a tyre only one other rider had but it didn’t work out. I had no rear grip at full lean in the second half of the race, so I had to stand the bike up through the corners and ran wide all the time. It’s a shame because we had a great front tyre but I couldn’t push it. Not the best finish but we’ve learnt a lot of things that we will now take to Assen.” DAVIDE BRIVIO TEAM DIRECTOR “The whole race was run at a full second inside lap record pace, which is incredible. It shows the great job done by our engineers and the wonderful partnership we have with Michelin. I am so pleased to hear Valentino say he is enjoying riding the bike that is a great compliment to everybody in the team. It is a pity Colin could not confirm his excellent progress in the race but we know he is on the right tracks and I’m looking forward to seeing him at Assen, a circuit he likes and knows well.” RESULTS 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 43’16.487 2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +1.094 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda MotoGP +7.810 4. Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda +8.204 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +8.273 6. Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda Team +12.051 7. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team +18.762 8. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Camel Honda +42.631 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +46.638 10. Ruben Xaus (SPA) Fortuna Yamaha Team +46.692 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) 145 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) 87 3. Max Biaggi (ITA) 77 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) 73 5. Alex Barros (BRA) 65 6. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) 57 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) 47 8. Loris Capirossi (ITA) 43 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) 40 10. Carlos Checa (SPA) 33 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Frustrating day for Team SUZUKI MotoGP at Catalunya Kenny Roberts Jr scored a single point at today’s Gran Premio Gauloises de Catalunya whilst team-mate John Hopkins had a DNF after previously entering pit lane to change a tyre. The race was held in hot and humid conditions and tyre choice was always going to be an issue on the recently resurfaced Circuit de Catalunya. Hopkins’ Chief Technician Stuart Shenton was bitterly disappointed for both John and his crew: “Words cannot express how upset we are after today’s race. We thought we had made a good tyre choice but we ran into trouble and John had to come in and change the rear. We had another problem after that but it was irrelevant at that stage.” Roberts Jr (P15) put on a brave display as the track surface took its toll on his Bridgestone race tyres, but he still managed to bring his Suzuki GSV-R home safely in a point scoring position. Roberts said; “There’s not a lot to say really. We are struggling in every facet of the bike and tyres at the moment. Suzuki and Bridgestone are trying real hard and of course myself and John are probably trying too hard sometimes, which is difficult to see when we can’t show our true colours. “The only way we’re going to get better is to try as hard as we can. Suzuki want to make it better and so do Bridgestone and we’re here if they want to do it – that’s all I can say at the moment.” Today’s race was watched by 105,698 fans and they were treated to another victory by World Champion Valentino Rossi – his fifth win in six rounds this season. Team SUZUKI MotoGP Manager Paul Denning was very disappointed by the day’s result. He said: “Kenny showed real determination to carry on and finish the race even though he had absolutely no tyre left in the latter stages. He again scored a point in a difficult situation when it could have been easier – and probably safer – for him to pull in. “John has had a difficult weekend. He was in the top-ten throughout all the practice sessions and went well in qualifying. He started the race well but had to pit and change the tyre, and then suffered another DNF. We can take some solace from the fact that his chance of a high finish had gone, so if there is such a thing as an acceptable failure this would be it. “We will now move on to the next round at Assen and look to get both Kenny and John challenging higher up the field. If the Bridgestone tyres work well at a track which should suit the nimble GSV-R chassis we certainly have a better chance” The next round of the MotoGP World Championship will be the Dutch Grand Prix from Assen Holland on Saturday 25th June. Gran Premio Gauloises de Catalunya Race Classification 1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 43’16.487: 2. Sete Gibernau (Honda) +1.094: 3. Marco Melandri (Honda) +7.810: 4. Alex Barros (Honda) +8.204: 5. Nicky Hayden (Honda) +8.273: 6. Max Biaggi (Honda) +12.051: 7. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +18.762: 8. Troy Bayliss (Honda) +42.631: 9. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) 46.638: 10: Ruben Xaus (Yamaha) +46.692: 15. KENNY ROBERTS JR (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1’23.731: DNF. JOHN HOPKINS (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP): World Championship Classification 1. Rossi 145: 2. Melandri 87: 3. Biaggi 77: 4. Gibernau 73: 5. Barros 65: 6. Edwards 57: 7. Hayden 47: 8. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 43: 9. Nakano 40: 10. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 33: 14. HOPKINS 16: 19. ROBERTS JR 9: More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Barcelona June 12th, 2005 Catalunya Grand Prix Challenging Day for Bridgestone After encouraging practice results with strong and steady performances, all three Bridgestone teams in the MotoGP category ran into difficulties in today’s Catalunya Grand Prix. With a determined ride to ninth position, Kawasaki star Shinya Nakano was the one rider from the Bridgestone squad to finish within the top ten of the race. Ducati riders Carlos Checa and Loris Capirossi dropped back to eleventh and 12th position, a dissapointing finish from their great success last weekend in Mugello with Capirossi’s first podium finish of the year. Whereas Suzuki’s former world champion Kenny Roberts still managed to take a point in 15th position, his team-mate John Hopkins retired with nine laps to go. German Kawasaki rider Alex Hofmann came in for a tyre change and finished the race in 17th position. During the official pre-season testing session in March, Bridgestone had gathered data to modify its tyres to match the new tarmac of the Catalunya track, that had been re-surfaced back in December last year. Since that test session, much effort was made to solve the problems encountered, and for the front tyre, Bridgestone had been able to come up with the right solution. But for the rear tyre, Catalunya’s new tarmac remained a tough challenge as performance level decreased on the right side during the race. The tyres selected by all teams were hard compound tyres, made for the ultra-fast main straight, and for the sweeping right turns, with rider’s safety as a top priority, but was not sufficient enough in terms of durability and grip consistency. Bridgestone’s engineers immediately started to analyse all race tyres in their mobile engineering facility, and will air-freight the tyres back to Japan for further analysis, in order to address the problems as quickly as possible. Shinya Nakano Kawasaki Racing Team 9th position “I had a great start and found a good race rhythm immediately. I found myself behind Colin Edwards, I could match his speed, and I could even see the top guys in the group ahead of us for quite some time. But from mid-race on, my rear wheel started to slide, and it got increasingly difficult to control the bike. That’s why Troy Bayliss managed to sneak past me towards the end. But at least, I went faster than in practice, and we were able to show that we were right on track with the set-up of our bike!” Akira Nishimura General Manager Motorcycle Racing Bridgestone Motorsport “That was a bitter day for us. We have done a lot of testing and tried our best to come up with a solution for this track, but still, our riders ran into difficulties over the race distance, and suffered rear tyre durability and performance problems. Obviously, there is a lot of work left to do for us. We need to analyse and understand the relationship between tyre durability and the new tarmac of the Catalunya circuit, and we need to come up with results and a solution quickly. We will do everything possible to get back on track for the next race in Assen, and to enable our riders to fight on the highest level again. “ Bridgestone Results: 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 44.03,125 11. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati, 44.16,844 12. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 44.20,351 15. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki, 44.40,218 17. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki, 43.43,269 DNF: John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Temperature Track Air Weather 36 C 32 C Sunny More, from a press release issued by Telefonic Movistar Honda: DOUBLE PODIUM FOR TEAM MOVISTAR HONDA MOTOGP Sete Gibernau takes second place and is followed onto the podium by his team-mate Marco Melandri. CATALUNYA GP – MOTOGP RACE The Movistar Honda MotoGP team led by Fausto Gresini celebrated their 150th Grand Prix in style today with a double podium at Catalunya, where Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri finished second and third respectively. Both Movistar riders started from the front row of the grid and set the pace in the race, with Sete Gibernau imposing an intense rhythm in the second half that only Valentino Rossi could follow. Sete led the way for the majority of the race (18 of the 25 laps) with a consistent pace in the low 1’43s – well inside the circuit record. The Spanish rider was roared on to second place by 105,600 fans, a record crowd at the Montmelò circuit. Marco Melandri made a perfect start and, after leading the way for three laps in the opening stages, tried his best to stick with the pacesetters at the front. Later, the battle with Hayden and Barros for third place cost him valuable time and he eventually lost touch with Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau. However, Marco held his concentration and focused on his main objective a third podium finish of the season. SETE GIBERNAU (2nd): “The team have done a great job and I had a good feeling with the bike today. I set a good pace over the opening laps which gave me a couple of tenths advantage and allowed me to lead for the majority of the race. At eight laps to go the left side was sliding too much and I wasn’t able to maintain my pace. I’m disappointed for the fans, who have given me great support all weekend, but I’m sure they enjoyed the excitement in the race and a great show all round.” MARCO MELANDRI (3rd): “It was a tough but incredible race for me. I got a good start and tried to stay with the lead riders over the opening laps. I had a good pace and even managed to lead for a few laps but I ran wide when Nicky Hayden passed me and Barros also came through to send me back to fifth place. The fight with Barros and Nicky for third meant that I lost contact with the front two and I was never able to make the ground up. Even so, I am really happy with third place. I won a personal battle today my race pace was much better compared to Mugello and the podium confirms that we are getting constantly better. I want to say a special thanks to the whole team, to Fausto and to Michelin, that has helped me a lot in the right tyre choice.” FAUSTO GRESINI, TEAM MANAGER: “We have celebrated the 150th Grand Prix with two riders on the podium. It’s an incredible result and I want to thank Sete, Marco and all the team. Unfortunately Sete couldn’t finish with a victory but he did a great race. The race pace was incredible today, in fact today’s total race time was 45 seconds less than in 2004. I want to thank Honda and Michelin because we could keep up with this incredible rhythm.” RACE CLASSIFICATION 1. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 43’16.487 2. Sete Gibernau (Sp/Honda) +1.094 3. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) +7.810 4. Alex Barros (Bra/Honda) +8.204 5. Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda) +8.273 ….. MotoGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 1. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 145 p. 2. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 87 3. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 77 4. Sete Gibernau (Sp/Honda) 73 5. Alex Barros (Bra/Honda) 65 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: Catalan Grand Prix at Catalunya Sunday 12 June, 2005 FIVE HONDAS IN TOP SIX BUT ROSSI WINS AGAIN Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) rode a typically brave race in front of his adoring home fans here in Barcelona today, but second was the best he could do as Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) won his fifth race from five starts in 2005. Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) rode to a fighting third. A baying crowd of 106,000 race fans watched the action unfold in hot conditions with the track temperature elevated to 40 degrees as the MotoGP race got underway. Despite the resurfacing work carried out to the circuit, tyre wear was to be the critical issue here in the heat. Gibernau stormed off the line from pole into turn one with his team-mate Melandri right on his shoulder and with Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) in third and fourth. The fast-starting Loris Capirossi (Ducati) lay fifth with Rossi sixth. But it didn’t take Rossi long to make his way to the front of the field. He was up to second as lap two began, with Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) charging through from the third row of the grid to fifth. Into turn one at the start of lap two and Rossi was squeezed to third by the RC211Vs of Gibernau and Melandri, with Sete retaking the lead from his team-mate Melandri. Barros snatched fourth from Hayden as the Brazilian set one of the early fastest laps. The action was never less than intense as six riders fought for supremacy at the head of the field: Melandri from Rossi, from Gibernau, then Barros, Hayden and Biaggi with Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) now making up ground on the leaders. The fight was so frantic that Sete touched Marco’s rear wheel on lap three as Tamada made the most of the fierce in-fighting to get on the tail of the group. The Japanese also set another fastest lap as he made his way forward. Gibernau then put in a fastest lap before Rossi briefly led on lap five while Barros was trying to secure third from Hayden who was trying everything to get it back. Tamada was the fastest man on the track, but was to crash out a lap later. As Gibernau upped the pace to try and break the will of his pursuers he put in another fastest lap of 1m 43.253 seconds. And only Rossi could stay with the flying Spaniard now. By mid-race the pair were 3.2 seconds ahead of the three rider struggle for third place between Melandri, Hayden and Barros. Max was by now 2.7 seconds adrift of the fight for third place in sixth and there he would remain until the flag. At least he was close enough to see the three riders ahead of him ride three abreast into turn one as they tried everything to grab that third podium place. Rossi then forced the pace in the final three laps. He led into turn one on lap 22 of the 25-lap contest, and Gibernau had no answer to the reigning World Champion’s speed as the Italian set a fastest lap of 1m 43.195 seconds on lap 23. Rossi maintained a gap of at least 0.5 seconds in the final two laps and as the pair crossed the finish line, Gibernau had clearly settled for second place and a points finish the gap at 1.094 seconds. Melandri came out on top in the fight for third. Gibernau said, “I was putting in some good laps, but then eight laps from the end the front-end began sliding too much going into turns. I thought I had something left in reserve for the end of the race but not as much as Vale had at the end. I’m looking forward to Assen now and trying to stay positive and keeping the pressure on.” His team-mate Melandri said, “I’m a bit disappointed because I lost time at the start with a foot-peg problem. It was hard to stay with the leaders, but as long as I keep improving race by race that’s OK with me. Riders are fighting more and more as the season goes on but I won my battle for the podium and it’s good to be here again.” Barros said, “I’m quite happy because it was a while since I had a race like this. I enjoyed myself. Towards the end I overtook Nicky and then waited until the last lap to try and pass Marco too. I wanted to get him at turn six, but I was too far back, I then tried it at turn nine and didn’t manage it. It’s a shame, but in the end it was a good race and now we can look forward to the next one at Assen, a track which I really love.” Nicky said, “The whole race was a bit of a dog fight really. We were really going at it. I got a good start and made a few overtakes stick in the opening laps. I got up to third and wasn’t that far behind the leaders when I made my fastest lap of the race trying to close the gap. Then Melandri came past with a big move that cost me time. I got back to third and just tried to get a steady rhythm and pull away. On the positive side the bike went well, the Michelins hung on well and my boys did a great job.” Max in sixth said, “It went bad. We rode a different bike from the one we used at Mugello, with a set-up meant to improve braking. In those sections the feeling was good but it really worsened handling and cornering, with consequent problems for tyre life. I could never take part in the game and it makes me very sad. I look to the next Assen Grand Prix knowing that it’s not going to be easy, but we must push harder.” Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), who finished eighth after starting from 15th said, “Qualifying didn’t go as planned yesterday, but in the free practices I was quick, so I knew that in the race today I could go fast. I had the worst start of my career I couldn’t believe it, I was something like seventeenth or eighteenth at the end of the first lap. We’re improving, but now we need to make another step forward and I’m hoping we can do it in testing here tomorrow.” “What happened?” said Makota Tamada. “I wasn’t pushing my bike so much. I could stay with the fastest riders easily without pushing my bike to the limit. But something went wrong. I was doing a simple turn just behind Barros when suddenly I found myself on the ground with the bike beside me. I think I lost the front.” The World Championship points table now shows Rossi with 145 points, Melandri with 87, Max on 77 and Sete fourth overall with 73. A fraught 250cc race was won by local superstar Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) who triumphed in a fierce race from Casey Stoner (Aprilia) and heroic Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW), who finished third despite riding injured. Dani got a poor start from pole and was outside the top ten on lap one, but by lap three he was sixth after setting a fastest lap. Early front-runner Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) had crashed out on lap two and it was Randy de Puniet (Aprilia) who led before he too crashed on the next lap. Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) then inherited the lead although within a lap Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) stole it from him. The front group was bunched tightly and the order was De Angelis, Barbera, Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW), Dani, and Dovi. Simone Corsi (Aprilia) and Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) were riding hard to get on the tail of that group and Casey Stoner (Aprilia) was also on a charge to the front. By mid-race Dani was up to second, and then he took the lead as Lorenzo hit the rear of de Angelis and took them both out of the race. As Pedrosa established a two second lead over Stoner, Dovi had moved up to third despite riding with heavy bruising to his right side after a heavy practice crash yesterday. Corsi then punted Barbera out of the track after they touched under braking into turn one. And as Pedrosa established a five second cushion over Stoner, Dovi held third while Aoyama eased past Corsi for fourth. Randy de Puniet finished sixth after remounting. Yuki Takahashi (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) finished seventh equalling his best result so far. Dani said, “That was a tough weekend. Qualifying was hard and it was struggle to get the right set-up here. I had to ride really hard to get to the front after my bad start and the bike was sliding at the front from about half-race distance. That was great team effort to get the win.” Dovi said, “I’m so happy, that was fantastic result. Dani won well here but I’ve had a lot to deal with this weekend. There was the pain itself and then a hard decision over whether to ride or not. Now it’s all gone well and that’s as much as I could have hoped for after being in hospital yesterday.” Pedrosa heads the World Championship points table with 123, Stoner lies second with 96, Dovi third on 93 and Aoyama comes into the reckoning with 58. Mattia Pasini won the 125cc race from Marco Simoncelli (both Aprilia) with Mika Kallio (KTM) third. World Championhsip points leader (until now) Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) was seventh while Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) finished fifth. Luthi got the holeshot from the third row of the grid, but by lap two Pasini was in control of the race and he led until the flag 21-laps later. Luthi gradually slipped down the order as tyre grip became an issue for the young Swiss rider. Kallio did his best to stay in touch with the flying Pasini but the Finn was always at least two seconds adrift of the Italian as the order established itself in the second half of the race. Simoncelli was the only man on track who could make an impression in the closing laps eventually stealing second from Kallio. Koyama said, “At the beginning of the race I had a lot of chatter from my rear tyre in the high-speed turns. So I changed my riding style and ran through them a gear lower and that helped me get back some ground. Then it was hard to get past Poggiali so I out-braked him.” Luthi said, “That was a race of slides. My rear tyre was gone after about ten laps and that was my own fault because I chose too soft a compound. The engine was very good all race and I did my best but that was all I could achieve today.” The World Championship classification is now even tighter than ever: Pasini 84 points, Luthi 83, Kallio 82 and Gabor Talmacsi, who finished fourth today, 75 points. HONDA TEAM QUOTES: MotoGP: Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda: 2nd: “The team have done a great job and I had a good feeling with the bike today. I set a good pace over the opening laps which gave me a couple of tenths advantage and allowed me to lead for the majority of the race. At eight laps to go the left side was sliding too much and I wasn’t able to maintain my pace. I’m disappointed for the fans, who have given me great support all weekend, but I’m sure they enjoyed the excitement in the race and a great show all round.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda 3rd: “It was a tough but incredible race for me. I got a good start and tried to stay with the lead riders over the opening laps. I had a good pace and even managed to lead for a few laps but I ran wide when Nicky Hayden passed me and Barros also came through to send me back to fifth place. The fight with Barros and Nicky for third meant that I lost contact with the front two and I was never able to make the ground up. Even so, I am really happy with third place. I won a personal battle today my race pace was much better compared to Mugello and the podium confirms that we are getting constantly better. I want to say a special thanks to the whole team, to Fausto and to Michelin, that has helped me a lot in the right tyre choice.” Alex Barros , Camel Honda: 4th: “I’m quite happy because it was a while since I had a race like this. I enjoyed myself and even thought I would have obviously preferred to have got on the podium, I think I had a nice battle with Marco and Nicky. I got away well and had a good first lap, tagging along with the front group straight away. Towards the sixth lap though, I began to have a problem when braking. I just couldn’t brake properly and went too deep on a couple of occasions. So I had to work with the problem, without losing ground. Towards the end I overtook Nicky and then waited until the last lap to try and pass Marco too. I wanted to get him at turn six, but I was too far back, I then tried it a turn nine and didn’t manage it. It’s a shame, but in the end it was a good race and now we can look forward to the next one at Assen, a track which I really love.” Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: 5th:The whole race was a bit of a dog fight really. We were really going at it. I got a good start and made a few overtakes stick in the opening laps. I got up to third and wasn’t that far behind the leaders when I made my fastest lap of the race trying to close the gap. Then Melandri came past with a big move that cost me time. I got back to third and just tried to get a steady rythmn and pull away. The last few laps were amazing we were all just back and forth – we were just duking it out. I so wanted that podium but it just wasn’t to be. It’s fruntrating to have such a good overall weekend and go away with a fifth. On the positive side the bike went well, the Michelins hung on well and my boys did a great job.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team: 6th: “It went bad. We rode a different bike from the one we used at Mugello, with a set-up meant to improve braking. In those sections the feeling was good but it really worsened handling and cornering, with consequent problems for the tires’ life. I could never take part in the game and it makes me very sad. I look to the next Assen Grand Prix knowing that it’s not going to be easy, but we must push harder.” Troy Bayliss, Camel Honda: 8th: “Qualifying didn’t go as planned yesterday, but in the free practices I was quick, so I knew that in the race today I could go fast. I had a start though which will rank alongside the worst in my whole career. Incredible, I couldn’t believe it, I was something like seventeenth or eighteenth at the end of the first lap. I got my head down though and began to fight back, riding consistently at a good pace. We’re improving, but now we need to make another step forward and I’m hoping we can do it when testing here tomorrow.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: dnf – crash”What happened? I wasn’t pushing my bike so much. I could remain with the fastest riders easily without pushing my bike to the limit. I was serene and charged up at right level to remain there; my goal was to conquer the podium. Yes, because everything, the bike, the tyres, and the set up of the bike found in these days of work was more than satisfying. But something went wrong; I was doing a simple turn just behind Barros when suddenly I found my self on the ground with the bike beside me. My sensation is that the front tire lost adherence and made me slip, but before making a final evaluation of what happened we have to analyze the images showed on television and check the telemetry. I am very sorry for my Team; I thought the time to give them back what they have done for me in this beginning of the season was arrived.” 250cc: Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica Movistar Honda: 1st: “I’ve never won three in a row before so to do so at my home race is fantastic. I’m really happy because we’ve worked very hard all weekend and it was so tough at the start of the race. I was a bit nervous as the start I didn’t know if first gear was in properly, let the clutch go too quick and almost stalled it. I was really surprised. I got going again but it was a bad start a schoolboy error. It was difficult to get to the front in the race although I put my rhythm together as soon as I saw that the pace wasn’t too hot. Once I was leading I managed to get a few crucial seconds ahead and held on to the gap until the end. We’ve also had front tyre problems here although that’s been the same in every category. We’ve worked all weekend to improve my position on the bike so that the tires wouldn’t suffer as much. We’ve had three great races so I hope that continues at Assen”. Andrea Dovizioso, Team Scot: 3rd: “First of all I want to thank my team for the great work they have done. I have heavy pain in my shoulder: it was a bad briuse but in Clinica Mobile have done good ‘work’. I started as normal and I could run with the leaders. We have chosen a too soft tyre and,on the fifth lap, in a corner I lost the front”¦ I used my knee to not crash out. I was in the first group but I couldn’t recover the gap from Pedrosa because of the problem with the front. From the middle of the race the pain started to get bad again to “¦ I gritted my teeth. Considering this morning I didn’t know if I had the force to start I’m now very happy. During the race I gave my best. After the crash of yesterday these 16 points are really a good result but, even if the championship is still long to the end, I’m sorry to loose important points. The Spaniard has one year experience more but one good race is enough to reach the top of the standing. Lorenzo is really competitive but today he made a mistake colliding with Alex De Angelis, who, with Aprilia, was making a good race. I reached the podium thanks to this mistake, too”. Hiroshi Aoyama, Telefonica Movistar Honda: 4th: “We’ve made an important step forward with respect to Mugello and that gives me a lot of optimism. On the third lap I got my finger stuck on the brake and it made my run off track, which cost me 8 seconds. I came back on prepared to give it everything and move forward through the positions, so I’m really happy with fourth.” Yuki Takahashi, Team Scot:7th: “I’m happy even if I could have done a better result. I had some rear end problems and chattering in the fast corners, but I could catch the seventh place in the last corner of the last lap. Tomorrow we have a test session and we hope to solve our setting problems”. Alex Debon, Wurth Honda BQR:11th: “The 11th place is not so bad after a very, very difficult week for us. We had a problem with the front end in qualifying but the bike was better in the warm up. The big problem for me was my engine. We could not get it how we wanted it to run, it felt as if it was rich off the corners it would not accelerate. I spoke with the tam and maybe we will stay at the track and test tomorrow to see what was wrong.” Erwin Nigon, replacement for the injured Dirk Heidolf, Kiefer Castrol Honda: 13th: “I am very happy for my team they listen to me and I listened to them. The race was good for me. I’m happy with my race but not happy that I could not go with Guintoli when pushed. The Honda is good for my style I had only raced Aprilia and Yamaha before but this is my best result at Catalunya. The only small problem I had today was running into the very fast corners. Other than that it was a good race for me and the team. I’m very happy.” Héctor Barberá, Fortuna Honda: 16th: “I was racing ith Corsi for fourth place when we clashed, twice. My bike was not the same afterwards so I had to settle for a place outside the points.” Jorge Lorenzo, Fortuna Honda: dnf: suffered a double fracture of his left collarbone. To ensure the quickest possible recovery, the best thing will be to operate as soon as possible to place a small titanium plate over the broken bone. Lorenzo is now in a Barcelona hospital. Radomil Rous, Wurth Honda BQR: did not race due to injuries sustained in practice. Jakub Smrz, Molenaar Honda: dnf crash: “I got a really bad start but I started passing riders in front of me. I wanted to get to the group with Debon and Takahashi but then I crashed at the fast right-hander when the front end closed on me. It was so fast there was no way I could save it. Now we go to Assen my favourite circuit where I will have a new chassis.” 125cc: Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ajo Motorsport Honda: 5th: “At the beginning of the race I had a lot of rear end chattering, especially in the high speed corners. So I changed my riding style a little and used one gear lower at some places and that helped a lot. As the race went on I was fighting with Poggiali but I couldn’t get out of the slipstream and pass him so I had to outbrake him. A good race and I’m happy I could fight for this result.” Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 7th: “That was a race of slides for me, my rear tyre was finished after ten laps. We just chose a tyre that was far too soft for the conditions and the pace of the race. The engine was very good and I did the best I could in the situation. I got a good start and everything was fine till I started sliding. It was a hard race but I really enjoyed it.” Fabrizio Lai, Kopron Racing: 10th: “I couldn’t do a better result. In the last races we have had some engine problems and it wasn’t possible to solve them at the circuit: unfortunately Barcelona is only seven days after Mugello. The maximum speeds speak for themselves. Now we have to work hard at home to be competitive again in Assen. 21 points from the leader in the standing are not a big problem”. Alvaro Bautista, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 14th: “I tried to push from the first lap but the engine would not pull like it had I qualifying. Then I ran into tyre problems, we chose too soft a compound for the race. The only positive thing I can take away from here is we have almost completely resolved the problems we had with the front end.” Aleix Espargaro, Seedorf RC3 Tiempo Holidays Honda: 15th: “This has been a very hard week for me not at all easy. We had a few problems at the beginning of practice but had found our way before final qualifying. This morning the bike was really good. I got a good start but at the fourth corner Masbou touched me and crashed. From then on I just raced hard and even though my tyres were finished at the end I raced with D Meglio. It was a hard last lap but I beat Di Meglio to get the last point.” Mike Di Meglio, Kopron Racing: 16th: “My bike had a good maximum speed but I had problems in the corners where the engine lost power. I hoped to catch at least one point but Espargaro overtook me in the last corner”. Toshihisa Kuzuhara, Angaia Racing Honda: 21st: “I couldn’t ride as well as I did yesterday in the corners. The engine was OK today and I was in a good position when I was hit by another rider on the back straight and that dropped me back into a slower group and I could not get away again.” Sandro Cortese, Kiefer Boss Castrol Honda: 23rd: “For the first nine laps of the race everything was very good then I had the same front brake problem I had in final qualifying. Once the tyres started to go off I had to be slow into the corners and use our good acceleration to get off the corners to beat the riders I was with.” Raymond Schouten, Molenaar Honda: 25th: “I’m a little bit disappointed. I got a good start but Olive crashed at the first corner and I had to go into the gravel trap to miss him. When I got back on track I was second last. After that I just tried as hard as I could and passed some riders. My lap times were good and but for the incident wit Olive I could have been close to the points. That was the best I have ridden all season and it ame at the right time because the next ace is at my home track at Assen.” Alexis Masbou, Ajo Motorsport Honda: dnf crash. Results MotoGP Race Classification MotoGP : (25 laps = 118.175 km) Pos/ Rider / Nat / Team / Motorcycle / Time/ KM/H 1 / Valentino ROSSI / ITA / Gauloises Yamaha Team / YAMAHA / 43’16.487 / 163.848 2 / Sete GIBERNAU / SPA / Movistar Honda MotoGP / HONDA / 43’17.581 / 163.779 3 / Marco MELANDRI / ITA / Movistar Honda MotoGP / HONDA / 43’24.297 / 163.356 4 / Alex BARROS / BRA / Camel Honda / HONDA / 43’24.691 / 163.332 5 / Nicky HAYDEN / USA / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 43’24.760 / 163.327 6 / Max BIAGGI / ITA / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 43’28.538 / 163.091 7 / Colin EDWARDS / USA / Gauloises Yamaha Team / YAMAHA / 43’35.249 / 162.672 8 / Troy BAYLISS / AUS / Camel Honda / HONDA / 43’59.118 / 161.201 9 / Shinya NAKANO / JPN / Kawasaki Racing Team / KAWASAKI / 44’03.125 / 160.957 10 / Ruben XAUS / SPA / Fortuna Yamaha Team / YAMAHA / 44’03.179 / 160.953 11 / Carlos CHECA / SPA / Ducati Marlboro Team / DUCATI / 44’16.844 / 160.126 12 / Loris CAPIROSSI / ITA / Ducati Marlboro Team / DUCATI / 44’20.351 / 159.914 13 / David CHECA / SPA / Fortuna Yamaha Team / YAMAHA / 44’20.472 / 159.907 14 / Roberto ROLFO / ITA / Team D’Antin Pramac / DUCATI / 44’26.745 / 159.531 15 / Kenny ROBERTS / USA / Team Suzuki MotoGP / SUZUKI / 44’40.218 / 158.729 Fastest Lap (Unofficial new record): Valentino ROSSI 1’43.195 164.903 Km/h Lap 23 Lap Record: Sete GIBERNAU 1’44.641 162.624 Km/h 2004 World Championship Positions: 1 ROSSI 145, 2 MELANDRI 87, 3 BIAGGI 77, 4 GIBERNAU 73, 5 BARROS 65, 6 EDWARDS 57, 7 HAYDEN 47, 8 CAPIROSSI 43, 9 NAKANO 40, 10 CHECA 33, 11 BAYLISS 32, 12 JACQUE 25, 13 XAUS 24, 14 HOPKINS 16, 15 TAMADA 16. 250cc Race Classification 250cc: (23 laps = 108.721 km) Pos / Rider / Nat / Team / Motorcycle / Time / KM / H 1 / Daniel PEDROSA / SPA / Telefonica Movistar Honda 250 / HONDA / 41’29.428 / 157.223 2 / Casey STONER / AUS / Carrera Sunglasses – LCR / APRILIA / 41’35.065 / 156.867 3 / Andrea DOVIZIOSO / ITA / Team Scot / HONDA / 41’40.025 / 156.556 4 / Hiroshi AOYAMA / JPN / Telefonica Movistar Honda 250 / HONDA / 41’47.066 / 156.116 5 / Simone CORSI / ITA / MS Aprilia Italia Corse / APRILIA / 41’48.927 / 156.001 6 / Randy DE PUNIET / FRA / Aprilia Aspar 250cc / APRILIA / 42’02.663 / 155.151 7 / Yuki TAKAHASHI / JPN / Team Scot / HONDA / 42’06.836 / 154.895 8 / Sylvain GUINTOLI / FRA / Equipe GP de France – Scrab / APRILIA / 42’06.958 / 154.888 9 / Mirko GIANSANTI / ITA / Matteoni Racing / APRILIA / 42’12.242 / 154.564 10 / Alex BALDOLINI / ITA / Campetella Racing / APRILIA / 42’13.039 / 154.516 11 / Alex DEBON / SPA / Wurth Honda BQR / HONDA / 42’13.319 / 154.499 12 / Roberto LOCATELLI / ITA / Carrera Sunglasses – LCR / APRILIA / 42’15.228 / 154.382 13 / Erwan NIGON / FRA / Kiefer-Bos-Castrol Honda / HONDA / 42’27.618 / 153.631 14 / Hugo MARCHAND / FRA / Campetella Racing / APRILIA / 42’33.784 / 153.261 15 / Gregory LEBLANC / FRA / Equipe GP de France – Scrab / APRILIA / 42’33.827 / 153.258 Fastest Lap: Daniel PEDROSA 1’47.373 158.486 Km/h Lap 5 Lap Record: Daniel PEDROSA 1’47.302 158.591 Km/h 2004 World Championship Positions: 1 PEDROSA 123, 2 STONER 96, 3 DOVIZIOSO 93, 4 AOYAMA 58, 5 DE ANGELIS 56, 6 LORENZO 54, 7 PORTO 49, 8 DE PUNIET 46, 9 BARBERA 44, 10 CORSI 38, 11 TAKAHASHI 30, 12 DEBON 29, 13 GUINTOLI 27, 14 GIANSANTI 19, 15 LOCATELLI 15. 125cc: Race Classification 125cc (22 laps = 103.994 km) Pos / Rider / Nat / Team / Motorcycle / Time / KM / H 1 / Mattia PASINI / ITA / Totti Top Sport – NGS / APRILIA / 41’15.125 / 151.256 2 / Marco SIMONCELLI / ITA / Nocable.it Race / APRILIA / 41’24.159 / 150.706 3 / Mika KALLIO / FIN / Red Bull KTM GP125 / KTM / 41’27.533 / 150.501 4 / Gabor TALMACSI / HUN / Red Bull KTM GP125 / KTM / 41’33.381 / 150.148 5 / Tomoyoshi KOYAMA / JPN / Ajo Motorsport / HONDA / 41’33.565 / 150.137 6 / Manuel POGGIALI / RSM / Metis Racing Team / GILERA / 41’33.669 / 150.131 7 / Thomas LUTHI / SWI / Elit Grand Prix / HONDA / 41’36.585 / 149.956 8 / Julian SIMON / SPA / Red Bull KTM GP125 / KTM / 41’36.691 / 149.949 9 / Lorenzo ZANETTI / ITA / Skilled I.S.P.A. Racing Team / APRILIA / 41’44.154 / 149.502 10 / Fabrizio LAI / ITA / Kopron Racing World / HONDA / 41’44.596 / 149.476 11 / Andrea IANNONE / ITA / Abruzzo Racing Team / APRILIA / 41’45.608 / 149.416 12 / Michael RANSEDER / AUT / Red Bull ADAC KTM Juniors / KTM / 41’50.339 / 149.134 13 / Sergio GADEA / SPA / Master Aspar / APRILIA / 41’53.764 / 148.931 14 / Alvaro BAUTISTA / SPA / Seedorf RC3 – Tiempo Holidays / HONDA / 41’54.684 / 148.876 15 / Aleix ESPARGARO / SPA / Seedorf RC3 – Tiempo Holidays / HONDA / 41’59.343 / 148.601 Fastest Lap: Mika KALLIO 1’51.744 152.287 Km/h Lap 6 Lap Record: Hector BARBERA 1’50.903 153.442 Km/h 2004 World Championship Positions: 1 PASINI 84, 2 LUTHI 83, 3 KALLIO 82, 4 TALMACSI 75, 5 SIMONCELLI 72, 6 LAI 63, 7 POGGIALI 51, 8 SIMON 45, 9 KOYAMA 43, 10 FAUBEL 30, 11 OLIVE 26, 12 NIETO 25, 13 GADEA 23, 14 DI MEGLIO 23, 15 ESPARGARO 16. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Catalan Grand Prix, Catalunya Race Day, Sunday June 12 2005 DUCATI RIDERS FIND CATALUNYA A TOUGH CHALLENGE Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa could not replicate their fine recent showings at Mugello during the Catalunya Grand Prix, as each had to make a compromise choice of rear tyres for the 25-lap race. The resurfaced Montmelo circuit proved abrasive and each rider had to modify their ambitions before the start, despite riding to their full abilities throughout. Capirossi had a mid-race fight for four laps with his team-mate Checa, until the Spaniard dropped back after a braking error. Checa recovered his position in the race, finishing in 11th place. Capirossi went 12th, with each rider earning championship points. “We have been struggling a lot with rear grip,” said Livio Suppo, Ducati MotoGP Project Manager. “Together with the Bridgestone technicians we made a tyre choice for safety sake, with a hard compound rear. When we made the change this morning we knew it would be less competitive, but much safer. We have to work together with Bridgestone and we knew that this was a partnership we would have to grow. We know that they are working hard and we have to accept that there will be difficult days, but of course it’s hard after race like at Mugello. The difference in the surface from Mugello decided everything. When we took the decision to change our tyre supplier it was not an easy choice but we knew it was a choice with a lot of potential, and we still believe it.” CHECA UNABLE TO SHINE AT HOME Carlos Checa had a tough afternoon of work in front of his home crowd, his lack of rear traction reducing his possibilities with his bike in full race trim. A battle with his team-mate mid-race was followed by a dramatic moment when leading a group of riders, as he ran on past his braking point at the end of the main straight. A spirited fight back put him 11th in the race. “There was no possibility to race we did at Mugello,” said a disappointed Checa. “We had a problem with the rear tyre life here, and the performance was nothing special. I made a mistake during the race as well, when in front of Bayliss and Xaus. The handlebars had been shaking from side to side as I went down the straight and when I hit the brakes I think my pads had been pushed back. I had to make a couple of grabs on the lever, and that made me lock up the front when it gripped again. I got past the riders again but by that time my tyre performance was down, so for the last seven laps I decided just to ride to hold my position and finish the race. This was not the race for us, but considering everything, I am reasonably satisfied.” CAPIROSSI 12th AFTER TOUGH DAY Loris Capirossi was as high as seventh after one lap of the recently resurfaced Catalunya circuit, but after a few laps his pace dropped as the rear tyre grip reduced. He had to settle for 12th place, but was philosophical about his experience. “It was a tough weekend,” stated Capirossi, who had a last minute change to his race preparations. “We worked a lot and made quite a few changes in set-up. Yesterday afternoon we were OK. This morning I went out with the rear tyre we chose yesterday, and we were OK again. After warm-up I was advised to use a much harder compound rear. This was almost an obligatory choice, but after a few laps I had very little grip from the rear. It was as if it was raining. But anyway, it was important to finish the race. Now we can put this race into the past and we can focus on Assen.”
