motoyen
04-18-2004, 02:40 PM
Valentino Rossi made history once again today by becoming the first man ever in the history of the MotoGP World Championship to win consecutive races with different manufacturers after clinching victory on his Yamaha debut at the betandwin.com Africa’s Grand Prix. The Phakisa Freeway circuit in Welkom, South Africa, bore witness to a classic duel between Rossi and his arch nemesis Max Biaggi, who went head to head from the first corner to the last. The reigning World Champion took the holeshot and tried to escape the chasing pack, with Biaggi and Sete Gibernau the only men able to keep the electric pace.
Biaggi made several exciting passes on his compatriot, who responded with his own brand of thrilling overtaking. A brief lull in the stand-off at mid-race, when Biaggi trailed the rear wheel of Rossi to the inch for around ten laps, sparked into another frenetic duel with six laps remaining. Biaggi was again the aggressor from behind, taking control only for Rossi to strike back within corners – the pair swapping positions until three corners from the end, when Rossi played his final ace and snatched victory from the jaws of the Honda rider
Biaggi made several exciting passes on his compatriot, who responded with his own brand of thrilling overtaking. A brief lull in the stand-off at mid-race, when Biaggi trailed the rear wheel of Rossi to the inch for around ten laps, sparked into another frenetic duel with six laps remaining. Biaggi was again the aggressor from behind, taking control only for Rossi to strike back within corners – the pair swapping positions until three corners from the end, when Rossi played his final ace and snatched victory from the jaws of the Honda rider