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| July 15, 2002 | Monday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 4, 1423 |
Unstoppable Rossi rides to victory
DONINGTON PARK (England), July 14: Italian Valentino Rossi’s seemingly unstoppable charge to a second successive world title continued on Sunday when he rode his four-stroke Honda to a seventh win of the season at the MotoGP British Grand Prix.
His compatriot and great rival Max Biaggi was second on the fast-improving Yamaha four-stroke, while Brazilian Alex Barros was a distant third on his two-stroke Honda.
Not even a visit to the hospital after a bad crash on Friday could prevent 23-year-old Rossi claiming his seventh win in eight races this season, his sixth in a row and a fourth consecutive triumph at the British circuit — the first coming in the 250cc class back in 1999.
He has now topped the podium 46 times in 100 grands prix and a phenomenal 20 times in 40 starts in the top class.
In the 250cc race, Italian Marco Melandri won his fourth successive round of the championship with a victory snatched from fellow Aprilia rider Fonsi Nieto on a thrilling last lap.
A fourth Aprilia podium sweep of the season was assured when Toni Elias overtook Franco Battaini, also on the last lap, for third place.
Earlier Frenchman Arnaud Vincent celebrated Bastille Day by winning the 125cc race, his first victory since the opening round of the season at Suzuka.
A relative veteran alongside teenagers Daniel Pedrosa, who finished second, and world champion Manuel Poggiali, who was third, Aprilia rider Vincent started 16th on the grid and made his way up the field to take the lead five laps from the end.—Reuters
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