Grand Prix 2000 - Round 10 - Germany

Roberts starts from pole position in this round 10 of the World Motorcycle Championship in Germany. A dry Grand Prix race day which has been something of a novelty this year. Valentino Rossi, Carlos Checa & Luca Cadalora were among some of the crashers during qualifying. This circuit is very tight for a 500 with riders only able to use full throttle for a couple of seconds each lap! Rossi has also been suffering from a severe bout of the flu which put him behind the 8-ball before the start of the race weekend but likes the German Grand Prix circuit after winning the 250 GP here in 1999.

No rider has won back-to-back Grand Prixs for 19 races and this season has seen 7 different race winners. Barros starts from the front row for the 6th time running. The top 13 qualifiers are covered by less than a second, the startline holeshot will be vitally important here.

Amazingly everyone got through the 1st corner unscathed with Roberts out in front, closely followed by Capirossi & Barros. Capirossi is trying to stick it under Roberts' Suzuki at every corner but the American holds him out. McCoy 9th, Rossi 16th.

So we have Suzuki, Honda, Honda, Yamaha, Yamaha, Suzuki as we start lap 2. Biaggi in 4th with Abe right behind him. Roberts is running hard tyres at both ends where most others are running medium fronts and hard rears or medium front, medium rear.

Lap 3 and Roberts still holds off Capirossi, Barros & Biaggi who set the fastest lap of the front runners on the 3rd time around. Barros looks as though he may actually have more pace than Capirossi, there it is Barros through into 2nd at the start of lap 4. Harada on the V-Twin Aprilia is setting a scorching race pace and up into 6th as Barros starts to hassle Roberts for the lead. Harada up into 5th after setting the fastest lap on the 5th time around the circuit and is now right on Biaggi's tail and hustling for the Italian's 4th place. Obviously the softer power delivery of the Aprilia may be an advantage around the tight German circuit.

Roberts still holding out Barros on lap 6 with Capirossi around a second further back and closely followed by Biaggi and Harada. Barros underneath Roberts for the lead, Harada up in to 4th after putting a great move on Biaggi.

23 laps to run - Barros, Roberts, Capirossi, Harada, Biaggi, Gibernau, Rossi, Criville, Van Der Goorbergh, Okada, McCoy, Laconi. McWilliams into the fence and looked to have damaged his wrist.

Harada up in to 3rd after Capirossi must have made a little slip up, Harada will be on Roberts and Barros within the next couple of laps. He is right with them now and looks to have the speed to get the lead before this race is out. The 30 kilograms weight advantage given to the twins over the fours looks to be really working to the benefit of the Aprilia around the tight German track.

The top 5 are very close - Barros, Roberts, Harada, Capirossi, Biaggi with 20 laps to go. Rossi may be closing a little on the top 5 and is really throwing his Honda around. Van Der Goorbergh and Criville crashed out. The Repsol Honda Team must be praying for this woeful season (for them) to end.

16 laps to run and the race order remains the same but Rossi has closed on the leading 5 even more to be only a couple of seconds off the back of the group. Roberts is still behind Barros but appears to be able to hold a tighter line out of the corners than the Brazilian. Capirossi through on Harada for 3rd.

Rossi and Okada are now joining the leaders, the fight for the lead may well end up a seven-way battle before this race is out! Less than two seconds cover the top seven with 12 laps to go.

Valentino Rossi right on the tail of Biaggi now and looking for a way around the Yamaha pilot. Biaggi under Harada in to the 1st corner to take 4th. Capirossi through on Roberts but the American gets him right back. Rossi under Harada at the same place Biaggi had done it a lap earlier, 10 laps to go.

Rossi under Biaggi and up into 4th with 9 laps to run, can Rossi get to the lead? Surely not? Rossi under Capirossi and up into 3rd! Now under Roberts, this is is unbelievable!!!! Barros will get the shock of his life if Rossi goes past him as he would not have even seen his name mentioned on his pit-board as a serious rival to his lead. Rossi showed the Brazilian a wheel, into the straight can Rossi do it again into the 1st corner, no he can't manage it this time around but will surely have a serious go shortly. Harada has been relegated back to 7th.

Rossi underneath, but Barros gets him back, main straight again, 6 laps to go and Capirossi has got in front of Roberts and up into 3rd. This is a fantastic race, I had forgotten what a dry 500 race looked like!

5 laps to run, Rossi under Barros and into the lead at turn 1, can he clear out?

4 laps to go - race order - Rossi, Barros, Capirossi, Roberts, Biaggi, Okada is the race order. Barros runs wide but gets it back, Roberts is threatening Capirossi in 3rd. Harada into the dirt. Barros right with Rossi again, the top 4 must be covered by well under a second. Barros tries into turn 1, he gets it, the Brazilian is back in the lead, I don't think Rossi will settle for that this is set for a frenetic last lap. Capirossi is trying hard but looks to be struggling with the rear a little and Roberts is waiting to pounce should he leave a gap anywhere.

Last lap - Barros takes a defensive line into turn 1, half a second covers the leading quartet. Rossi is right on the tail of Barros but they are all struggling for traction, Barros and Rossi are swapping paint, Capirossi runs a little wide and Roberts pushes him out onto the grass which relegates Capirossi to 6th as Biaggi & Okada also took advantage of Roberts' block. Barros takes the win from Rossi.