MotoGP Rd 2: Gibernau crashes, Barros/Honda win, Rossi extends title lead

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Barros celebrates after the event

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Toni Elias (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 14th: “It was a really difficult weekend for me. It started good but ended with me struggling, physically, due to the injury to my knee. The rain kept changing the track conditions for us, which made it very difficult. Even so I think it was a very good experience and I have to keep thinking in this way – to learn.”

Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda, dnf: "The only mistake I made was to lead from the start. It was a very tough race and it was important to judge the marshals' flags properly because that was the only reference I had of how much water was on the track. Wherever there was a flag I slowed down and where there wasn't one I sped up. I didn't go mad, I was in control of the race and I was even slower at the end of the straight than usual, but it wasn't enough. The weekend was a lot tougher for me than people might expect, but once again we worked perfectly. I tried to get away and avoid contact with any other riders but the crash was unavoidable. In the end we've paid for it because the other riders saw the crash and dropped their pace by three seconds. On another day it will be somebody else but in these situations the person at the front is at a disadvantage. Now I just want to get home to Switzerland, continue my recuperation with my physical trainer and get a good rest before China".

Luca Montiron, Konica Minolta Honda Team Manager: “The hope is that after Makoto’s injuries, bad luck will definitely abandon us. As Makoto could have a potential problem to the right wrist, it doesn’t have any sense to risk anything and let him participate in the Grand Prix. The season has just begun and we have to concentrate on how to recover our rider as quick as possible. For this we’ll begin to prepare ourselves for the Grand Prix of China, where we’ll absolutely have to be back at our level. Makoto really care to compete on the circuit of Shangai, since that is one of the few Grand Prix which will be in Asiatic land. Tomorrow, obviously, we’ll not take part to the test session programmed here at the Estoril.”

Dott. Mattioli, Mobile Clinic: “Makoto has a lot of pain. After the first few exams we suspected a fracture close to the scaphoid. The rider cannot completely move his right hand and he will not be able to participate to today’s race. We’ll understand what the injury is exactly about only after the CAT scan which the rider will have in the next few days. At the moment we have applied a Scotchcast to restrict the movement of the injured wrist.”

Race Result: 1. Alex Barros (Honda) 47’14.053: 2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +2.771: 3. Max Biaggi (Honda) +6.071: 4. Marco Melandri (Honda) +29.546: 5. Carlos Checa (Ducati) +29.774: 6. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) +44.216: 7. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 57.121: 8. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) +59.847: 9. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) +1’07.718: 10. Ruben Xaus (Yamaha) 1’22.431.

Points after two rounds: Rossi 45, Barros 38, Melandri 29, Biaggi 25, Gibernau 20, Nakano 19, Checa 17, Edwards 17, Bayliss 15, Tamada 8, Hayden 9, Capirossi 7,

Odds for World Championship following the race: V Rossi 1.36 S Gibernau 4.50 A Barros 7.00 M Biaggi 10.00 M Melandri 17.00 N Hayden 26.00 S Nakano 34.00 C Edwards 34.00 T Bayliss 41.00 L Capirossi 41.00 M Tamada 51.00 C Checa 51.00 T Elias 101.00 R Xuas 101.00 J Hopkins 101.00 A Hofmann 101.00 R Rolfo 101.00

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