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Kenny Roberts has pole but less than one second covers the first nine riders. Rossi and Checa have crashed in qualifying. Barros, full of confidence after good showings in the last few months, sit beside him. Biaggi and Capirossi are next with Capiossi still carrying injury to his hand from the practice session in Britian.
The second row is made up of van den Goorbergh, Rossi, Aoki, and McWilliams.
At the green Roberts made a flyer followed by Capirossi and Barros, with Biaggi and Abe.
At the start of the fourth lap Barros passed Capirossi to stay with Edwards who was starting too pen a very slight lead.
While Barros pressures Roberts at the front. Harada is moving up to join the front bunch, putting in some quick laps. Barros takes Roberts on the seventh lap. Capirossi third, Harada and Biaggi.
McWilliams goes down, he appears to injure his arm, walkig away from the crash site holding his arm with a paramedic.
Barros continues to lead at lap 10 but Harada is pressing Robert\'s for second. Rossi is moving up through the bunch to make his presence felt. But it is Barros, Roberts, Harada, Capirossi and Biaggi.
In the second bunch Criville and van den Goorbergh touch and both go down out of the race. Criville is having a terrible time this season.
Back at the front, Barros still leads, Roberts and Harada, with Capirossi and Biaggi still close behind. Rossi is getting closer to the lead group now some two seconds behind. The pace slows as the lead riders look after their tires, saving what they can of them for the half of the race still to come.
The leading bunch has position changes as Capirossi passes Harada, Barros remains in front, chased by the now group of seven.
The lesser positions swap again with Capirossi passing Roberts only to be passed back on the next corner. Okada gets past Harada and Rossi passes Biaggi. Rossi then takes Capirossi for third place. Then it is Roberts turn and Rossi has Barros in his sights.
Rossi undertakes Barros btu runs wide and Barros gets the lead back, Capirossi goes past Roberts for third.
Rossi goes again and this time makes it stick, Barros is still very close, with Capirossi and Roberts right there as well. They are followed by Biaggi and Okada.
While Barros is trying to regain the lead Harada crashes out, Barros out brakes Rossi to take the lead on the 29th lap. Roberts in his efforts to move up forces Capirossi wide, almost a collision .
Barros in front going into the last lap, with Rossi all over him trying to force the mistake, but he can not do it. Barros first, Rossi second, Roberts pushes Capirossi right off the track to take third.
500cc GP:
1. Alex Barros (Honda)
2. Valentino Rossi (Honda)
3. Kenny Roberts Jr. (Suzuki)
4. Max Biaggi (Yamaha)
5. Tadayuki Okada (Honda)
6. Loris Capirossi (Honda)
7. Regis Laconi (Yamaha)
8. Sete Gibernau (Honda)
9. Carlos Checa (Yamaha)
10. Garry McCoy (Yamaha)
Points
K Roberts 161
C Checa 123
V Rossi 112
L Capirossi 112
N Abe 106
A Barros 104
