Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau fought long and hard over 27 laps at insane speeds and lean angles. Hey, Formula One, Were you watching? This is racing.
When the starting-lights go out and the clutch is opened all hell breaks loose. Gibernau makes an early move into the lead, followed closely by Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi, as the rest of the pack snaps and snarls at their heels like junkies who get high on the scent of exhaust. And that is exactly how to describe these men. These Racers. Speed Freaks, everyone of them.
For the next few laps Gibernau, Rossi and Hayden pull out a few bike lengths on the rest of the pack and bob and weave trying to get the slightest advantage diving in on the brakes or exiting a corner. Every extra millisecond counts, Every Mph is needed.
On lap 19 Nicky Hayden loses his concentration while trying to catch Rossi and loses the front end and slides out of a podium position and into the gravel trap.
Back at the front Rossi and Gibernau play cat and mouse with each other trying to find out where the other is weaker or stronger on the track. On lap 24 Rossi pounces and takes the lead in a dramatic move that makes the crowd at the circuit yell, whistle, scream, blow off airhorns and rev engines that they have brought with them to add to the cacophony of noise in this, their church.
On the final lap the lead changes several times as Rossi and Gibernau continue their ballistic ballet. Rossi dives under Gibernau; Only for Gibernau to repay the favour as the bike beneath him squirrels and slides, like a Giant Elk on iceskates, on the gas and out of the next corner.
Rossi switches track position to allow an earlier apex on the penultimate corner to allow a faster line into the last turn onto the start finish straight. Gibernau's back wheel skips on the tarmac with the braking force of last gasp grabbing of the lever, Rossi dives up the inside and the crowd holds its breath as he and Gibernau's bikes collide. Rossi keeps the line as Gibernau is forced wide into the gravel trap. He rejoins the track and finishes 8.631 seconds behind the triumphant Rossi. Marco Mellandri finishes third, 10 seconds behind Gibernau.
Results for Moto Gp round 1 Jerez.
- Valentino Rossi.
- Sete Gibernau.
- Marco Mellandri.
- Alex Barros.
- Shinya Nakano.
- Troy Bayliss.
- Max Biaggi.
- Makoto Tamada.
- Colin Edwards.
- Carlos Checa.
- Alex Hoffman.
- Toni Elias.
- Loris Capirossi.
- John Hopkins.
- Roberto Rolfo.
- James Ellison.
- Franco Battaini.
- Ruben Xaus.
- Nicky Hayden.
- Kenny Roberts (Jnr)
- Shane Byrne.
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