Checa fell twice in qualifying and is way down in 15th place on the grid as a result in his 100th GP appearance.  At this stage of the game you would have to say that Roberts has this year's 500 championship sewn up and only some major blunders will see him not end up with the #1 plate at the end of the season.   The American has a 38 point lead with Checa in 2nd with Rossi a further 9 points behind with Capirossi.  Criville realistically has no chance of retaining his championship as he languishes down in 7th place in the standings with only 88 points.

Biaggi and McCoy got a great start but Capirossi got under McCoy in turn 1 and Roberts went through in turn 2.  McCoy is backing it in already and is very loose indeed.  Capirossi through on Biaggi for the lead.   Rossi came from nowhere to put his Honda in 3rd, ahead of Roberts and McCoy.   Abe in the kitty litter.

Capirossi, Biaggi, Rossi, Roberts, McCoy, Okada, Criville was the race order on lap 2 until Biaggi took Capirossi for the lead.   Rossi under Capirossi just before the start of lap 3.  Biaggi has opened a slight gap over Rossi, Capirossi & Roberts who is starting to challenge Loris for that 3rd position.  

Biaggi had a 1.1 second lead as they started lap 4.   McCoy is on 16.5" tyres, soft at both ends!  Roberts is on hard tyres front and rear while Biaggi & Capirossi are both on medium tyres.  Biaggi opening more of a gap and halfway into lap 4 he had stretched his lead over Capirossi to 1.8 seconds.  Roberts ran in too hot which sent him wide and let McCoy through for 4th.   Rossi under Capirossi for 2nd.

At the start of lap 5 Biaggi had 2.5 seconds on Rossi.   Barros in the kitty litter.  Biaggi is walking away from them and now has 3 seconds over 2nd placed Rossi.  McCoy starting to challenge Capirossi for 3rd, through he goes, McCoy into 3rd and after Rossi. 

Okada and Criville are closing on Roberts.  Biaggi now has a 4 second lead with 16 laps to run.  Roberts under Capirossi for 4th, the Italian's hand may be starting to affect his performance.

McCoy right on Rossi's tail while Biaggi is still walking away with this race, his lead is now nearly 5 seconds!  Roberts seems to have picked up a little pace.  McCoy under Rossi in an impossible move, can McCoy and his ridiculous riding style catch Biaggi who now has 5.5 seconds on the rest of the field!

You can actually see the smoke rising from McCoy's rear tyre on the exit of the turns!

14 laps to run and McCoy has not been able to break away from Rossi, Roberts & Capirossi.  A little further back is Criville and Okada.   McCoy is sliding wildly out of the turns, how can a bloke so small hang on to that 500!  I was on a speedway bike yesterday and still could not manage to get that sideways. 

McCoy is matching Biaggi's pace but that is not going to be good enough to close that gap which with 12 laps to run is still around 5.5 seconds.   Checa is way back in 13th place so Roberts does not need to take any risks in order to increase his championship lead.  Roberts is currently in a fairly safe 4th.

Gibernau is now the leading Repsol Honda rider back in 6th.  Biaggi now 5.7 seconds in front of McCoy who is still being stalked by Rossi with 10 laps to run.  Garry is really rear wheel steering the Yamaha now as his soft tyres are in a constant state of slide all the way around the circuit. 

6.5 seconds is now Biaggi's lead so unless something drastic happens Max has this race wrapped up.  The entertainment value is the battle for 2nd between McCoy and Rossi, although the Italian can't get too close to McCoy as he never knows where the front or rear of McCoy's Yamaha is going to be either on the way in or on the way out of the corners.

8 laps to run and Rossi is right on the tail of McCoy now but has still not managed to show a wheel.  Rossi is definitely carrying more speed into the turns as McCoy goes in locked up with front and back see-sawing to and fro as the Australian battles to try and get the front and rear wheels somewhere close to being in the line they were designed to.

7 laps to go - 6.9 seconds between Biaggi and McCoy who still has Rossi right up his clacker and ready to pounce should the Australian make the slightest mistake.  Roberts is watching the action from about 5 bike lengths behind the antagonists for 2nd place.

Rossi puts a move on McCoy with 6 laps to run and makes it stick for 2 corners before McCoy goes straight back underneath.  Rossi underneath again half a lap later but McCoy gets on the power earlier onto the main straight and gets alongside Rossi but the Italian drops his Honda back over McCoy's nose into turn 1 and keeps his 2nd place.  Roberts is still watching this from a safe distance.

Rossi has pulled a few lengths on McCoy but the Aussie is not giving up he is just gassing it up mid turn and balancing it on the throttle sideway out of the turns to try and catch the young Italian.  Capirossi is in a safe 5th while a huge battle for 6th wages between Aoki, Criville, McWilliams, Gibernau & Okada.

Biaggi is still walking away with this race and increasing his lead on just about every lap.  The leaders are negotiating backmarkers now with 3 laps to go and McCoy seems to have turned it to his advantage to be right on the tail of Rossi's Honda once again.

McCoy is definitely go to try and make a pass on Rossi before this race is out.  There it is, under Rossi, side-by-side on the exit, but the Aussie holds it together to keep the advantage. 

Over the line to start the 2nd last lap McCoy still leads Rossi, but the Italian out-brakes McCoy into turn 3, Biaggi is country miles ahead and set up for an easy win.  If you could call riding a 500 around Brno in 123 seconds easy, lap after lap of course.

Last lap - Biaggi way in front, Rossi now has around 5 bike lengths on Rossi as they hit more backmarkers which stuffed McCoy up a bit and may just spoil this battle for 2nd.  Yep, Rossi now has over 10 lengths on McCoy.   Biaggi is now on the back wheel around the back of the circuit and doing little stoppies for the crowd on the way into the corners.  Biaggi crosses the line in a 1-handed wheelie with Rossi 6.6 seconds back in 2nd, with McCoy a further 2 seconds behind.

Capirossi finished a brave 5th and hits the deck as soon as he hits his pit and leaves the team to remove his helmet and gloves etc. as he battles the pain from racing with a broken bone in his hand.

• Result

• Championship Standings

1. Biaggi
2. Rossi
3. McCoy
4. Roberts
5. Capirossi
6. Gibernau
7. Criville
8. Aoki
9. McWilliams
10. Okada
11. Checa
12. Van Der Goorbergh
13. Laconi
14. Harada
15. Cadalora