Rossi holds the lap record here at Welkom but Biaggi straight under that mark on the second lap as he tries to get the better of his arch nemesis.  Gibernau was still in third, while Hayden and Edwards ran fourth and fifth a little over a second behind the leading trio early in this opening race of the 2004 season.

Biaggi managed to pull alongside Rossi on the next lap, only to show a wheel though by the look of it.  A few corners later Rossi ran wide, Biaggi went through, then they both messed up and Gibernau went through, then it went back to the previous order with Rossi in front of Biaggi and Rossi.  Biaggi then ran a little wide which allowed Gibernau through, Rossi then pulled a couple of bike lengths over them.  Rossi smoking the Yamaha.

Biaggi back through on Gibernau in a brave inside move which had the pair rubbing fairings around a fast turn, it looked as though it would definitely end in tears but they both came out the other end okay, Biaggi the one with his nose in front and takes second place back from Gibernau but their little battle had allowed Rossi to pull a couple of bike lengths out on his pursuers.

Gibernau then dropped off the back of the leading pair.  Biaggi through on Rossi for the lead, Rossi looks behind to see where Gibernau was, Biaggi immediately started to pull away.

But Rossi was having none of that and went back in to the lead under brakes for a left hander as they commenced lap 9 of 28.

Rossi laying big darkies and wagging the tail of the Yamaha out of the faster turns.  Both Rossi and Biaggi on the same tyres I believe, hard front, medium rear.  Gibernau in third running hard tyres at both ends.

Biaggi right on Rossi's tail and making sure Rossi knows he is there, ready to pounce on any small mistake.  Rossi's Yamaha very loose at the rear on the exit of some of the fast right handers, nine rights and five lefts at Welkom.  The way Rossi's machine wags its tail is more reminiscent of a production based superbike, rather than what we expect to see from a purpose built grand prix machine.  It is not like when riders slide the RC211V Honda, the Yamaha slips, grips, slips, grips and seems to wind up a little under power.  While the Honda has always looked perfectly balanced and near poetic as they paint dark lines on the tarmac.  Not the Yamaha, it paints squiggles, rather than the nice smooth darkies laid by the V-5 Honda...

The leading trio a step above their pursuers.  A second a lap quicker than the riders battling for fourth place, those riders being Hayden, Edwards and Barros.

Half race distance, Rossi and Biaggi still running nose-to-tail, Gibernau a second or so behind in third place.  Barros had got the better of Hayden and Edwards to move up to fourth position.  Bayliss was running 14th.  Xaus entered the pits early in the race, and around this part of the race Hodgson also pulled in to the pits, not sure of the problems with their Ducati machines.  Alex Hofmann crashed out.

Still Rossi and Biaggi out in front.  Biaggi sets a new lap record on lap 17 with a 1m33.258, just one lap after Rossi had broken the record Biaggi set early in the race.  These two both want to win, I can't see any quarter being given, it looks as though it will come down to the final lap and the final turns.  Gibernau couldn't hack the pace, drifting backwards from the leading duo.

With six laps to run it started to look as though Biaggi's tyres were a little worse for wear, when entering turns you could see that the rear wanted to come round on Biaggi so the four time 250 World Champion possibly not being able to use his 'fast in' riding style to full effect, which could be what means the difference between a win and second place.  But it also seems that Rossi is quicker over the first half of the circuit, while Biaggi seems better in the last half of the track at this point of the race, which could prove quite handy on that final lap...

Rossi and Biaggi out in front together with seven laps to run, Gibernau four seconds behind them.  Barros a further ten seconds down in fourth, still running with Hayden and Edwards.

Rossi really lighting up the rear of the Yamaha now out of the fast right handers.  Biaggi goes to the lead, he makes his pass, like always, on entry, this time holds it.  Rossi's Yamaha definitely not looking as stable as the Honda under brakes at certain bumpy points of the circuit.  Capirossi pushed Edwards back to seventh with four laps remaining.

The second slowest circuit on the calendar but no shortage of fast paced excitement in the closing laps as Biaggi led from Rossi, but the pair still nose-to-tail as they started to encounter a little lapped traffic.

Rossi trying very hard now, he runs under Biaggi and purposely forced Biaggi very wide, probably wider than he needed to in what amounted to a near block pass, but Rossi managed to get it turned and hard on the gas to maintain the advantage from that move, quite a feat in itself.

Rossi then pulled a couple of bike lengths over Biaggi as they negotiated the penultimate lap.  Rossi maintained the advantage throughout the first two-thirds of the final lap as they hit the back straight, and Rossi maintains it through the final third of the lap to take the win.  Unbelievable. 

Biaggi set the fastest lap of the race on that final lap to try and get him back but Rossi held on.  Rossi parks his machine next to a tyre wall, sits down for a few seconds before getting back on his machine to head back to the pitlane.  Rossi pulls a couple of smokies for the crowd on his way back to the pits.