Motor Cycling: Doohan shows Dutch courage

motor cycling

Doohan shows Dutch courage

Michael Doohan, of Australia, cruised to victory in the Dutch motorcycle Grand Prix yesterday. In the 500cc class, Doohan, on a Honda, completed the 121km race in 41min 17.788sec. With Doohan comfortably in the lead, the race became a battle for the second spot between Italy's Max Biaggi and Simon Crafar of New Zealand. Biaggi prevailed in 41min 18.348sec, while Crafar settled for third with 41min 18.939sec. After seven races, Biaggi leads the overall standings on 118 points, followed by Doohan with 115 points and Alex Criville, of Spain, with 113 points. In the 250cc competition, Italy's Valentino Rossi, riding an Aprilia, won the race with 38min 31.905sec, and in the 125cc class, it was a hair-raising sprint to the finish line for the 15-year-old Marco Melandri, of Italy, who trailed behind Japan's Kazuto Sakata until the final lap. Melandri, who doesn't even have a driver's licence, squeezed past Sakata just seconds before the finish, winning the race in 38min 27.391sec.