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Motorcycles: World GP seaswon closes in Argentina

2 November 1999

1999 F.I.M. 500cc Grand Prix Series, Round 16: Oscar A. Galvez Circuit
Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 31, 1999

Luck definitely was not with the Repsol Honda riders at the season's final Grand
Prix in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Alex Criville, who clinched the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship last weekend
in Brazil crashed at high speed - 120 mph - in practice, but still managed to
qualify a heroic third on the front row. Although he wasn't injured in the
crash, the battering, and a still-healing wrist broken a month ago at the
Australian GP, left him unable to fight for the win, and he finished fifth.

Teammate Tadayuki Okada fell just before the halfway point in the 27-lap race
and did not finish. That result dropped him from an almost certain second in the
final points standings to third. Third Repsol Honda pilot Sete Gibernau
struggled in practice trying to find the right setup, and had to start the race
from a fourth-row grid position. He took the checkered flag in sixth, right
behind Criville, and placed fifth in the final points standings. Kenny Roberts
won the race, followed by Max Biaggi, Norick Abe and Carlos Checa.

"After this crash and my fall in Australia I wasn't feeling so strong, "  said
1999 World Champion Criville. "This track is very demanding and I just wasn't
strong enough to win. "

Honda rider Emilio Alzamora took the 125cc GP World Championship at the final
race here in Buenos Aires, snatching the title from fellow Honda rider Marco
Melandri by a single point.

Argentinean 500 GP, top-5 finishers
1. Kenny Roberts Jr. - Suzuki
2. Max Biaggi - Yamaha
3. Norick Abe - Yamaha
4. Carlos Checa - Yamaha
5. Alex Crivill -  - Honda

F.I.M. 500cc Grand Prix final points standings
1. Alex Criville - Honda - 267 points
2. Kenny Roberts Jr. - Suzuki - 220 points
3. Tadayuki Okada - Honda - 211 points
4. Max Biaggi - Yamaha - 194 points
5. Sete Gibernau - Honda - 165 points
8. John Kocinski - Honda - 115 points
9. Alex Barros - Honda - 110 points
17. Mick Doohan - Honda - 33 points