They all got off the line well but Biaggi led them through the 1st corner with McCoy right up his tail and Roberts close behind.  Capirossi 4th, Rossi 5th.

McCoy tried to get past Biaggi in a couple of places but couldn't quite manage it and Biaggi looks fast here today.  McCoy has gone with Biaggi but the two Yamaha men have left Suzuki's Kenny Roberts a little behind them.

McCoy stuck it under Biaggi but had to button off and let Biaggi back over the top which slowed Garry a little.  Roberts has picked up the pace a little and is now with Biaggi and McCoy.  McCoy under Biaggi, can Garry make an escape?  Abe into the kitty litter.

McCoy, Biaggi, Roberts, Capirossi, Criville, Rossi.

Criville set the fastest lap on the 4th time around and had done quite a charge through the field and going past riders such as Valentino Rossi.

Roberts through on Biaggi for 2nd.  Criville in the kitty litter after trying to get past Capirossi.  McCoy is doing his normal ridiculously lurid slides on the way into the corners.  Criville back on the bike, nobody could say Criville is not trying here this weekend.  McWilliams in the dirt.

Roberts is closing on McCoy a little but is the American going to take the chance of trying to get past the very wide Yamaha of McCoy.  Rossi is up into 4th and catching the leaders a little.

18 laps to run - McCoy, Roberts, Biaggi, Rossi.   Rossi is the fastest man on the track and only 1.2 seconds cover the leading quartet.

Rossi through on Biaggi for 3rd.  A lap later Rossi started showing a wheel to Roberts and will surely make a serious move on the American shortly. 

Roberts is riding defensively to hold Rossi out but that has let McCoy escape a little as a consequence.  Rossi has a H-U-G-E moment after losing the front, picking it off his knee and then nearly being highsided with the young Italian right in the air and off the bike before landing back on the bike and continuing, unbelievable!  Rossi back on full noise and in 5th after losing a couple of places in that, um, incident.

So the race order now with 10 laps to go - McCoy, Roberts, Checa, Biaggi, Rossi, Aoki.  But McCoy now has 2 seconds over Roberts.

Rossi is challenging Biaggi again and can quite possibly get in a position to challenge Roberts for 2nd again before the end of this race.

Checa ran off the circuit but managed to rejoin the track after losing a stack of positions. 

McCoy has run away from the pack and is now over 4 seconds in front of the battle for 2nd which is still waging between Roberts, Biaggi and Rossi. 

4 laps to go and Rossi takes Biaggi for 3rd into turn 1, can the young Italian put one under Roberts.  Rossi underneath Roberts in an unreal move, Roberts tries to go back past on the outside but has to give up the position to the Italian or risk a coming together.  But there goes all the hard work for Rossi, lost the front and in the dirt.  The championship now pretty much belongs to Kenny Roberts.

2 laps to go - McCoy still a country mile ahead and Roberts holding onto 2nd and has opened up a little bit of a gap over Biaggi.

McCoy wins!  Roberts 2nd, Biaggi 3rd. 

• 500 Race Result

• Championship Standings

1. McCoy (AUS)
2. Roberts
3. Biaggi
4. Aoki
5. Barros
6. Laconi
7. Checa
8. Gibernau
9. Okada
10. Van Der Goorbergh
11. De Gea

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