ASSEN, Netherlands, 27 June 2004 — World champion Valentino Rossi sealed his third MotoGP victory in a row yesterday after overtaking Sete Gibernau on the final lap to win the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Italian Yamaha rider also took over from Honda’s Gibernau as leader in the overall standings. Both have 126 points but Rossi has won four races compared to Spaniard Gibernau’s two.
Yamaha rider Marco Melandri of Italy finished third, with Max Biaggi, on a Honda, fourth. Biaggi is third overall with 93 points.
Rossi, who started from pole, trailed Gibernau until the closing stages of the final lap when he reeled in the Spaniard.
“It was a great battle. I tried not to give up and made a very good time before the last lap and had a hard battle of braking with Sete as I tried to overtake,” said Rossi.
“After I got him, I almost lost the front and I thought I would crash,” he added.
Rossi’s achievement of three consecutive wins was the first for Yamaha since Eddy Lawson in 1986. The Italian set a new lap record in 1:58.758 during the penultimate lap, beating his own record of 2:00.973 set in 2002.
Gibernau, who won at Assen last year, has been on the podium in all six races this season and stretched his streak of scoring points to 19 races.
“Once again I tried to win and I did not, we were pushing hard,” Gibernau said.
Biaggi, riding in his 100th Grand Prix and celebrating his 33rd birthday, fought hard after starting 12th on the grid but just missed out on a podium finish.
His Honda teammate, Brazilian Alex Barros, made his 200th start in the premier class but crashed out on the 10th lap. He escaped unhurt.
“I think that a podium was a reality. I don’t know what happened in the crash, the back let go and the next thing I know I’m hitting the ground. Nothing is broken, but I feel pretty sore. Just really disappointed,” Barros said.
In the 250cc class Argentine Sebastian Porto on an Aprilia powered to victory after starting from pole.
Spaniards Daniel Pedrosa and Toni Elias, both on Hondas, were second and third.
French Aprilia rider Randy de Puniet, who finished fourth, maintained his overall leadership with 111 points, but Pedrosa closed the gap to one point. Porto is third on 88 points.
In the 125cc class Jorge Lorenzo steered his Derbi to victory, despite running off the track for a moment in the final lap of the race.
In a close finish with four contenders fighting for the podium, Italian Roberto Locatelli on an Aprilia finished second and pole-sitter Casey Stoner on a KTM was third, just ahead of championship leader Andrea Dovizioso.
Dovizioso remained leader with 109 points. Locatelli, in second, is 16 points further back and Hector Barbera of Spain on an Aprilia shares third place on 84 points with Stoner.
