Bautista snatches thriller
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ByEurosport
Published 20/08/2006 at 09:55 GMT
World Championship leader Alvaro Bautista claimed his fifth race win of the year by the length of a wheel after a thrilling 125cc duel with Mika Kallio. The Aprilia man led from the first lap, but surrendered track position to Kallio two corner from home
2006 Spanish GP Jerez 125cc Bautista
Image credit: Reuters
The two riders nearly touched as they neared the line, with Bautista's Aprilia providing the necessary power to see off the Finn's more agile KTM.
Czech hero Lukas Pesek suffered heartbreak, missing out on a podium at his home circuit when he fell off under pressure from Gabor Talmasci on the final corner, the Hungarian going on to take third place.
Bautista appeared to have the race won when he opened up a margin of more than a second over the chasing group of Kallio, Pesek, Mattia Pasini and Talmasci.
But a combination of traffic and Kallio's brilliance saw him set up a brilliant last-lap shootout. Kallio got his nose in front on a chicane two corners from home but was forced to take a wide line into the final corner.
As Kallio swerved onto the racing line the two men were millimetres from a high-speed collision, but the Finn pulled out knowing Bautista just had the edge.
"I could see Mika coming on my board. I knew he would do something on the final lap," said Bautista. "On the second chicane I knew I could lose momentum if I closed the door on Mika so I took a normal line and hoped I could win the race to the line."
Kallio declared himself happy despite the disappointment of losing first place, saynig: "This was a good race for us. Everybody nkows we want to win but today it was not possible for us.
"The second chicane was the only place I could overtake but on the final corner he got a slipstream and there was nothing I could do. Anyway second place is not bad."
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