LORENZO THE NEW LEADER
16 July 2006 - Aprilia

DE ANGELIS DOMINATES BUT DOESN’T WIN

One of the best races of Alex De Angelis’ career ended with a podium. Victory seemed certain, but Yuki Takahashi ruined the party when he fooled the rider from San Marino at the last curve. Second place didn’t rest well with Alex as he knew he worked efficiently all weekend.

On one of the more friendly tracks for De Angelis (the first podiums of his career in both the 125 and the 250 came at Sachsenring), Alex took off well from the second row as the light turned green. At the start of the race, Takahashi, Dovizioso, and Jorge Lorenzo (of Fortuna Aprilia) conducted the lead group with Alex at their backs. Arriving behind Lorenzo, who had brought himself into first place, De Angelis decided to take the lead. At that moment, the rider from Master Aspar’s pace was decisively better, so much so that Alex’s advantage over the others was greater than a second after only two laps (ahead of Lorenzo).

Just a few laps away from the checkered flag, the Japanese rider atop a Honda passed Lorenzo and began to make his way towards De Angelis. The advantage of the rider from San Marino decreased over the course of the last two laps and Takahashi was able to ride in the wake of Alex’s Aprilia. Takahashi’s passed De Angelis at the last curve on the last lap of the race. When Alex saw the Japanese rider insert himself, he thought of cutting him off but instead stayed wide so that he could cross over and pull himself up next to Takahashi, to then pass him before the finish line. Unfortunately, things didn’t go the way the rider from San Marino envisioned and once again Alex wasn’t able to enjoy the taste of victory. With the twenty points he earned today, Alex loses one position in the international classification, falling from 3rd to 4th place with 131 points.

On the third podium was Jorge Lorenzo of Fortuna Aprilia who is enjoying his new role as leader of the international classification. The sixteen points from the lowest podium allowed the young rider from Palma de Majorca to pass Dovizioso in the classification. The rider’s classification now sees Lorenzo in the lead with 174 points, just two ahead of the rider from Honda.

Another great race for Barbera who again raced in pain due to the arm he injured prior to Barcelona. The rider from Valencia dealt with the pain and finished 5th after Dovizioso. Behind Barbera came another consistent trial from Locatelli who finished sixth with his RSV 250 LE of Team Toth.

Thanks to the second place of Alex De Angelis, Aprilia remains the leader in the International Constructor’s category with 221 points, 31 ahead of the closest competition.

www.aprilia.com

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