Italy’s Loris Capirossi, on a Ducati, won the season-opening Spanish motorcycling Grand Prix here on Sunday ahead of home hope Daniel Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden of the United States.
Defending world champion Valentino Rossi of Italy crashed on the first bend, narrowly avoiding serious injury before finishing the race down the field.
The five-time reigning champion was upset at having failed to win the season’s opening race for the first time in six years, telling Italian television he was forced off his bike by Toni Elias, the Spanish Honda rider who went on to finish fourth.
”Elias took off as if it was the last race of the season and not the first,” Rossi said. ”I had a great start and I could have gone faster, then I felt a bump and fell. It happens. Elias made a mistake and I hope it’s the last time. Today [Sunday] I could have made the podium. I started well and I got into a good rhythm straight away.”
With Rossi out of the running, it was a battle between young and old with Capirossi, who will celebrate his 33rd birthday next month, trying to hold off Pedrosa, who at just 20 years of age was competing in his first race in the top MotoGP category.
Capirossi told BBC television afterwards: ”I think this is an amazing moment and we have worked hard for this. This is an amazing start to what I think will be an interesting season.”
On the first bend Rossi slid into the sand on the left and wasted precious seconds gesticulating when he could have been getting back on his bike. He eventually finished 14th.
It took Pedrosa six laps to get away from the field and in a position to challenge Capirossi, who had led from the first bend after starting in pole position.
When Pedrosa passed his Honda teammate Hayden to take second spot, he was more than two seconds behind Capirossi. However, Pedrosa showed determination and efficiency to tuck in behind the wheel of Capirossi by the 17th of the 27 laps.
The talent of Pedrosa, the winner of the 250cc world championship the past two seasons, was not enough to overhaul the experienced Capirossi, who crossed the line more than four seconds in front.
Pedrosa, however, said he had road-holding problems which meant he did not want to open up the throttle fully. ”I’m happy. This is amazing for me,” he said.
”But at the end the tyre was slipping so I didn’t push too hard.”
Hayden’s third place put two Honda riders on the podium to pour water on claims that the Japanese manufacturer had taken a gamble on lining up such young riders.
”There is no excuse for me not getting better. I just have to get better,” Hayden said. ”But all things considered this is a good start to the sesaon.” — Sapa-AFP