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Capirossi thwarts Honda hopes of podium sweep
Valencia, Nov 03: Ducati`s Loris Capirossi, taking part in his 200th grand prix, finished third ahead of his fellow Italian Max Biaggi to deprive Honda a podium sweep.
Valencia, Nov 03: Ducati's Loris Capirossi, taking part in his 200th grand prix, finished third ahead of his fellow Italian Max Biaggi to deprive Honda a podium sweep.
By the second lap, Rossi in the lead and soon he was fighting it out with Gibernau, who passed him briefly on lap 10. There was no stopping the number 46, however, and, after retaking the lead and holding off the Catalan's challenge, he raced away with a series of record laps to secure victory. San Marino's Manuel Poggiali took the 250cc world title by finishing third behind race-winner Randy de Puniet of France and Toni Elias of Spain. The Aprilia rider, who crashed in the morning warm-up, needed to prevent Roberto Rolfo from outscoring him by eight points to claim the crown in his debut season in 250cc racing and was never troubled by his Italian rival.
Rolfo finished seventh after a disappointing weekend at the Ricardo Tormo circuit. It was a second world title for Poggiali after his 125cc triumph in 2001 and at the age of 20 years and 261 days, he becomes the third youngest rider to be 250cc champion after Marco Melandri last year and Valentino Rossi in 1999.
De Puniet held off a strong challenge from Toni Elias for his third win of the season and fourth place in the championship behind the Spaniard. Elias, who twice briefly took the lead to the delight of the 120,000 crowd, finished second for another Aprilia podium sweep after a similar success in the 125cc race.
Australian teenager Casey Stoner won a thrilling duel with Spain's Hector Barbera for his first grand prix victory in the last 125cc race of the season.
The 18-year-old battled for most of the 24-lap race with Barbera, who was celebrating his 17th birthday on Sunday, and won when the Spaniard went too wide after an overtaking manoeuvre on the last lap. Barbera's error letGerman Steve Jenkner through into second place and the Spaniard had to settle for third in an Aprilia podium sweep.
The championship had already been won by Spain's Daniel Pedrosa, who broke both his ankles in a crash in the last round in Australia and was not racing.
Leading results from Sunday's Valencia Grand Prix: MotoGP 1. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Honda 47 minutes and 13.078 seconds 2. Sete Gibernau (Spain) Honda 47:13.759 3. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Ducati 47:24.305 4. Max Biaggi (Italy) Honda 47:29.371 5. Carlos Checa (Spain) Yamaha 47:33.946 6. Alex Barros (Brazil) Yamaha 47:43.929 7. Troy Bayliss (Australia) Ducati 47:50.848 8. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Aprilia 47:52.000 9. Norick Abe (Japan) Yamaha 47:53.307 10. Makoto Tamada (Japan) Honda 47:59.578
Championship standings 1. Rossi 395 2. Gibernau 277 3. Biaggi 228 4. Capirossi 177 5. Hayden 130
Constructors standings 1. Honda 395 2. Ducati 225 3. Yamaha 175 4. Aprilia 81 5. Suzuki 43
250 cc 1. Randy De Puniet (France) Aprilia 44 minutes and 01.924 seconds 2. Toni Elias (Spain) Aprilia 44:01.996 3. Manuel Poggiali (San Marino) Aprilia 44:14.734 4. Sylvain Guintoli (France) Aprilia 44:24.420 5. Fonsi Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 44:32.655 6. Sebastian Porto (Argentina) Honda 44:34.305 7. Roberto Rolfo (Italy) Honda 44:37.471 8. Franco Battaini (Italy) Aprilia 44:38.911 9. Eric Bataille (France) Honda 44:40.596 10. Alex Debon (Spain) Honda 44:43.672
Championship standings 1. Poggiali 249 2. Rolfo 235 3. Elias 226 4. De Puniet 208 5. Nieto 194
Constructors standings 1. Aprilia 390 2. Honda 252 3. Yamaha 119
125cc 1. Casey Stoner (Australia) Aprilia 40 minutes and 27.662 seconds 2. Steve Jenkner (Germany) Aprilia 40:27.930 3. Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 40:28.763 4. Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Aprilia 40:30.867 5. Mirko Giansanti (Italy) Aprilia 40:36.422 6. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Aprilia 40:36.550 7. Pablo Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 40:39.927 8. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 40:44.400 9. Lucio Cecchinello (Italy) Aprilia 40:48.751 10. Gino Borsoi (Italy) Aprilia 40:58.335
Championship standings 1. Daniel Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 223 2. Alex De Angelis (San Marino) Aprilia 166 3. Barbera 164 4. Stefano Perugini (Italy) Aprilia 162 5. Dovizioso 157
Constructors standings 1. Aprilia 343 2. Honda 286 3. Derbi 79 4. KTM 66 5= Gilera 11 5= Malaguti 11
Bureau Report
By the second lap, Rossi in the lead and soon he was fighting it out with Gibernau, who passed him briefly on lap 10. There was no stopping the number 46, however, and, after retaking the lead and holding off the Catalan's challenge, he raced away with a series of record laps to secure victory. San Marino's Manuel Poggiali took the 250cc world title by finishing third behind race-winner Randy de Puniet of France and Toni Elias of Spain. The Aprilia rider, who crashed in the morning warm-up, needed to prevent Roberto Rolfo from outscoring him by eight points to claim the crown in his debut season in 250cc racing and was never troubled by his Italian rival.
Rolfo finished seventh after a disappointing weekend at the Ricardo Tormo circuit. It was a second world title for Poggiali after his 125cc triumph in 2001 and at the age of 20 years and 261 days, he becomes the third youngest rider to be 250cc champion after Marco Melandri last year and Valentino Rossi in 1999.
De Puniet held off a strong challenge from Toni Elias for his third win of the season and fourth place in the championship behind the Spaniard. Elias, who twice briefly took the lead to the delight of the 120,000 crowd, finished second for another Aprilia podium sweep after a similar success in the 125cc race.
Australian teenager Casey Stoner won a thrilling duel with Spain's Hector Barbera for his first grand prix victory in the last 125cc race of the season.
The 18-year-old battled for most of the 24-lap race with Barbera, who was celebrating his 17th birthday on Sunday, and won when the Spaniard went too wide after an overtaking manoeuvre on the last lap. Barbera's error letGerman Steve Jenkner through into second place and the Spaniard had to settle for third in an Aprilia podium sweep.
The championship had already been won by Spain's Daniel Pedrosa, who broke both his ankles in a crash in the last round in Australia and was not racing.
Leading results from Sunday's Valencia Grand Prix: MotoGP 1. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Honda 47 minutes and 13.078 seconds 2. Sete Gibernau (Spain) Honda 47:13.759 3. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Ducati 47:24.305 4. Max Biaggi (Italy) Honda 47:29.371 5. Carlos Checa (Spain) Yamaha 47:33.946 6. Alex Barros (Brazil) Yamaha 47:43.929 7. Troy Bayliss (Australia) Ducati 47:50.848 8. Colin Edwards (U.S.) Aprilia 47:52.000 9. Norick Abe (Japan) Yamaha 47:53.307 10. Makoto Tamada (Japan) Honda 47:59.578
Championship standings 1. Rossi 395 2. Gibernau 277 3. Biaggi 228 4. Capirossi 177 5. Hayden 130
Constructors standings 1. Honda 395 2. Ducati 225 3. Yamaha 175 4. Aprilia 81 5. Suzuki 43
250 cc 1. Randy De Puniet (France) Aprilia 44 minutes and 01.924 seconds 2. Toni Elias (Spain) Aprilia 44:01.996 3. Manuel Poggiali (San Marino) Aprilia 44:14.734 4. Sylvain Guintoli (France) Aprilia 44:24.420 5. Fonsi Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 44:32.655 6. Sebastian Porto (Argentina) Honda 44:34.305 7. Roberto Rolfo (Italy) Honda 44:37.471 8. Franco Battaini (Italy) Aprilia 44:38.911 9. Eric Bataille (France) Honda 44:40.596 10. Alex Debon (Spain) Honda 44:43.672
Championship standings 1. Poggiali 249 2. Rolfo 235 3. Elias 226 4. De Puniet 208 5. Nieto 194
Constructors standings 1. Aprilia 390 2. Honda 252 3. Yamaha 119
125cc 1. Casey Stoner (Australia) Aprilia 40 minutes and 27.662 seconds 2. Steve Jenkner (Germany) Aprilia 40:27.930 3. Hector Barbera (Spain) Aprilia 40:28.763 4. Marco Simoncelli (Italy) Aprilia 40:30.867 5. Mirko Giansanti (Italy) Aprilia 40:36.422 6. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Aprilia 40:36.550 7. Pablo Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 40:39.927 8. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Honda 40:44.400 9. Lucio Cecchinello (Italy) Aprilia 40:48.751 10. Gino Borsoi (Italy) Aprilia 40:58.335
Championship standings 1. Daniel Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 223 2. Alex De Angelis (San Marino) Aprilia 166 3. Barbera 164 4. Stefano Perugini (Italy) Aprilia 162 5. Dovizioso 157
Constructors standings 1. Aprilia 343 2. Honda 286 3. Derbi 79 4. KTM 66 5= Gilera 11 5= Malaguti 11
Bureau Report