APRILIA DOMINATE SACHSENRING PODIUM
18 July 2004 - Aprilia

ITALIAN Roberto Locatelli produced a stunning performance as Aprilia claimed a clean sweep of the rostrum at today’s German 125 GP.

The 30-year-old Aprilia rider looked out of contention at the halfway stage of a classic 27-lap encounter as he battled desperately to claw his way through the pack on a track notoriously difficult for overtaking because of the tight and narrow 3.671km layout. A three-rider group including world championship rivals Hector Barbera, Andrea Dovizioso and Pablo Nieto appeared to have made a decisive break after a frantic first few laps that saw 13 riders split by just 1.7s at one stage. But Locatelli, one of the senior statesman of the 125 class, called upon all his vast experience to haul himself right back into contention having been as low as 12th at the end of the lap seven.

By the end of lap 17 he had moved into fourth position, but was still over three seconds behind the leading trio. Four laps later he had reduced that gap to just 1.6s and by the time the leaders crossed the line at the end of lap 23, the Bergamo rider had tagged onto the back of front three. On lap 25 he made clinical overtaking moves on Barbera and Dovizioso and then rode a perfect last two laps to claim the ninth win of his career. The 2000 world 125 champion said: “My race was incredible. It looked impossible after seven or eight laps because I was down in 12th position or something and the first three were going very fast. After I moved into fourth position I pushed really hard to catch the first three. I was pushing at the maximum but could see the gap closing all the time. I caught them and the last two laps were difficult but I managed to hold on. It was a great day.

Locatelli’s second win of the season moved him back into second place in the world championship standings with 131 points, trailing series leader Dovizioso by just seven-points.

Barbera finished second to maintain his strong title challenge. He said: “The leading group was very fast. I didn’t really know that Locatelli was in the group and I was a little bit surpied when he passed me. But I am happy with second.” Fellow Spaniard Nieto claimed only his second podium finish of the season as Aprilia continued to dominate the 2004 world 125 championship. Locatelli’s win was the fifth in eight races for the Noale manufacturer, who now have a commanding lead in the constructor world championship standings with 185 points.

www.aprilia.com

More News
  For July 2004
  From Aprilia
  For 125
  Biker247.com Home Page