Dom
16-10-2006, 08:21 AM
I was looking forward to reading it, thought you guys might want to peruse it too...
ELIAS TRIUMPHS AS HAYDEN ENDURES DISASTER
This epic MotoGP race will be remembered as much for a stunning maiden victory for Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V) as it will for the misery suffered by the Repsol Honda Team – Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V) crashed taking out team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) as he tumbled. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was second, Kenny Roberts (Roberts
KR211V) third.
A race of high drama played out in front of a 41,000 crowd, with overcast skies and a track temperature of 26-degrees and an ambient 20-degrees.
Rossi hit the front from the lights followed by his team-mate Colin Edwards with Dani and Nicky in close pursuit. Dani wasted no time disposing of Edwards for second while Nicky rode around the outside of the Yamaha man at turn one on the next lap.
Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) crashed on lap two taking down Sete Gibernau (Ducati) with him, while Edwards re-passed Hayden for third and then retook Pedrosa for second on lap three. Rossi meanwhile put in an early fastest lap of 1m 39.019s. The race was hotting up.
Roberts, making his way through the field from a fifth row start, showed he was right on the early pace with a fastest lap of 1m 38.4 seconds, while Hayden wanted to get on terms with the two front men and barged past Pedrosa for third.
Then on lap five the incident that every team dreads unfolded. Dani outbraked himself at the same tight left turn where Nicky had passed him and lost the front end. Dani’s bike skittled Nicky and the two hit the gravel – Dani’s race over, Nicky’s title hopes compromised by the crash.
Toni Elias who had been fifth until the demise of the Repsol duo, was now third and working on Edwards for second. Roberts had now eased past Loris Capirossi (Ducati) for fourth setting another fastest lap of 1m 37.9s in the process.
By mid-race distance Elias had secured second after a hard fight with Edwards and the Spanish star was now working on reducing the 1.1 second gap that Rossi held for the lead. By lap 19 of the scheduled 28 Tony was just
0.4 seconds adrift of Rossi and Roberts was shadowing Edwards who was still third.
On lap 22 Elias swooped up the inside of Rossi on the brakes at turn one before the reigning Champion grabbed back the lead on the next lap at the uphill chicane. But Roberts had now taken Edwards and then he moved on Elias for second.
On the penultimate lap Roberts made his bid for the lead at turn one and held onto it for the lap (Kenny would later reveal he miscounted the laps and expected to see the flag at the end of that lap). But on the final tour of Estoril’s 4.182km Elias made the same move from third place taking both Rossi and Roberts in one hit.
Rossi stole second back from Roberts and then slipped past Elias at the final chicane – but Toni held his ground and kept the power down on the outside and as the pair rounded the Parabolica onto the finish straight, Elias slipped out of Rossi’s draft to win by two thousandths of a second.
The World Championship has now swung in Rossi’s favour. The Italian has 244 points to Hayden’s 236 with the final round to be played out in Valencia in two weeks time.
Elias said, “That was perfect. All weekend I had been having big problems and now I have this incredible moment. I got a good start and when Stoner crashed out and then Dani and Nicky I was on the leaders and thought I could get a podium. Then I saw that Vale was only faster in some parts and I saw an opportunity that I had to take. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me… Honda, Michelin, Fortuna, my fans… everyone.”
Roberts said, “We’d improved quite a bit from Japan and I knew if I got a good start I’d be OK, but I didn’t want to be taking anyone out so I tried to get past Rossi on the last lap. But I miscalculated and when I crossed the line I thought I’d see the chequered flag – but there was one lap to go. I probably should have pulled this one out – but I won’t make the same mistake in Valencia – if I get the chance.”
Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) finished fifth and said, “During qualifying I found a good race set-up and in the warm-up I found a good rear tyre. The tyres worked well for the first half of the race then I had some understeer in the turns. So I didn’t force things and just kept my position.”
“A difficult weekend,” said eighth-placed Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V). “It started badly with the Friday crash and we did a good job to get back from that but we couldn’t quite find what we needed. The bike was Ok but I never had quite enough grip to go fast. I tried to push but whenever I did I made a mistake. Eighth wasn’t bad under the circumstances and I’m still third in the World Championship. Well done to Toni, but I feel sorry for Nicky.”
A dejected Nicky said, “It just hurts. I had a really hard race tyre on especially for the left-handers and I couldn’t believe how comfortable I felt in the first few laps. I was a lot faster than Edwards and I felt I could go and see what Valentino had. I didn’t expect Dani to pull over and let me past but I didn’t expect him to do that. We’re professionals and Dani did come by my motorhome and we shook hands. I proved this weekend that I wasn’t going to give up without a fight and even now I believe I’m still pretty strong. The World Championship is still possible.”
Dani said, “I made a mistake and I’m really sorry. It’s the first time I’ve hit another rider in my career. It’s never happened in six years and then now at the worst possible moment. I’m unhappy and so is Nicky and I just want to apologize. I wish I could change it. I braked and my rear wheel came off the ground and then when it came down again I got a little more speed and couldn’t stop the bike. I have a fractured finger but I should be OK for Valencia.”
Stoner said, “I don’t know if I lost the rear in the middle of the corner.
It seemed to slip a bit and as it came back it flicked out on me. All I remember is another bike hitting me pretty hard. I think Sete’s bike smashed into the lower part of my right leg, but nothing’s broken. I was waiting to make a move and didn’t get the chance.”
ELIAS TRIUMPHS AS HAYDEN ENDURES DISASTER
This epic MotoGP race will be remembered as much for a stunning maiden victory for Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V) as it will for the misery suffered by the Repsol Honda Team – Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V) crashed taking out team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) as he tumbled. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was second, Kenny Roberts (Roberts
KR211V) third.
A race of high drama played out in front of a 41,000 crowd, with overcast skies and a track temperature of 26-degrees and an ambient 20-degrees.
Rossi hit the front from the lights followed by his team-mate Colin Edwards with Dani and Nicky in close pursuit. Dani wasted no time disposing of Edwards for second while Nicky rode around the outside of the Yamaha man at turn one on the next lap.
Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) crashed on lap two taking down Sete Gibernau (Ducati) with him, while Edwards re-passed Hayden for third and then retook Pedrosa for second on lap three. Rossi meanwhile put in an early fastest lap of 1m 39.019s. The race was hotting up.
Roberts, making his way through the field from a fifth row start, showed he was right on the early pace with a fastest lap of 1m 38.4 seconds, while Hayden wanted to get on terms with the two front men and barged past Pedrosa for third.
Then on lap five the incident that every team dreads unfolded. Dani outbraked himself at the same tight left turn where Nicky had passed him and lost the front end. Dani’s bike skittled Nicky and the two hit the gravel – Dani’s race over, Nicky’s title hopes compromised by the crash.
Toni Elias who had been fifth until the demise of the Repsol duo, was now third and working on Edwards for second. Roberts had now eased past Loris Capirossi (Ducati) for fourth setting another fastest lap of 1m 37.9s in the process.
By mid-race distance Elias had secured second after a hard fight with Edwards and the Spanish star was now working on reducing the 1.1 second gap that Rossi held for the lead. By lap 19 of the scheduled 28 Tony was just
0.4 seconds adrift of Rossi and Roberts was shadowing Edwards who was still third.
On lap 22 Elias swooped up the inside of Rossi on the brakes at turn one before the reigning Champion grabbed back the lead on the next lap at the uphill chicane. But Roberts had now taken Edwards and then he moved on Elias for second.
On the penultimate lap Roberts made his bid for the lead at turn one and held onto it for the lap (Kenny would later reveal he miscounted the laps and expected to see the flag at the end of that lap). But on the final tour of Estoril’s 4.182km Elias made the same move from third place taking both Rossi and Roberts in one hit.
Rossi stole second back from Roberts and then slipped past Elias at the final chicane – but Toni held his ground and kept the power down on the outside and as the pair rounded the Parabolica onto the finish straight, Elias slipped out of Rossi’s draft to win by two thousandths of a second.
The World Championship has now swung in Rossi’s favour. The Italian has 244 points to Hayden’s 236 with the final round to be played out in Valencia in two weeks time.
Elias said, “That was perfect. All weekend I had been having big problems and now I have this incredible moment. I got a good start and when Stoner crashed out and then Dani and Nicky I was on the leaders and thought I could get a podium. Then I saw that Vale was only faster in some parts and I saw an opportunity that I had to take. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me… Honda, Michelin, Fortuna, my fans… everyone.”
Roberts said, “We’d improved quite a bit from Japan and I knew if I got a good start I’d be OK, but I didn’t want to be taking anyone out so I tried to get past Rossi on the last lap. But I miscalculated and when I crossed the line I thought I’d see the chequered flag – but there was one lap to go. I probably should have pulled this one out – but I won’t make the same mistake in Valencia – if I get the chance.”
Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) finished fifth and said, “During qualifying I found a good race set-up and in the warm-up I found a good rear tyre. The tyres worked well for the first half of the race then I had some understeer in the turns. So I didn’t force things and just kept my position.”
“A difficult weekend,” said eighth-placed Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V). “It started badly with the Friday crash and we did a good job to get back from that but we couldn’t quite find what we needed. The bike was Ok but I never had quite enough grip to go fast. I tried to push but whenever I did I made a mistake. Eighth wasn’t bad under the circumstances and I’m still third in the World Championship. Well done to Toni, but I feel sorry for Nicky.”
A dejected Nicky said, “It just hurts. I had a really hard race tyre on especially for the left-handers and I couldn’t believe how comfortable I felt in the first few laps. I was a lot faster than Edwards and I felt I could go and see what Valentino had. I didn’t expect Dani to pull over and let me past but I didn’t expect him to do that. We’re professionals and Dani did come by my motorhome and we shook hands. I proved this weekend that I wasn’t going to give up without a fight and even now I believe I’m still pretty strong. The World Championship is still possible.”
Dani said, “I made a mistake and I’m really sorry. It’s the first time I’ve hit another rider in my career. It’s never happened in six years and then now at the worst possible moment. I’m unhappy and so is Nicky and I just want to apologize. I wish I could change it. I braked and my rear wheel came off the ground and then when it came down again I got a little more speed and couldn’t stop the bike. I have a fractured finger but I should be OK for Valencia.”
Stoner said, “I don’t know if I lost the rear in the middle of the corner.
It seemed to slip a bit and as it came back it flicked out on me. All I remember is another bike hitting me pretty hard. I think Sete’s bike smashed into the lower part of my right leg, but nothing’s broken. I was waiting to make a move and didn’t get the chance.”