JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA 6TH MAY 2001
Over 126,000 spectators turn up for this weekend event. Men and women alike want to partake in all this motorcycle frenzy as Jeréz' MotoGP is one of the largest, most popular and most talked about circuits in the world! Excitement overwhelms the crowd as they cheer on their favourites and scream above the sound of the engines racing around the track. Those two sounds combined with the mystery of who will make it to the finish line first, are the prime ingredients to this hair-raising experience.
I felt true camaraderie amongst the crowd as the Spanish flags waved demonstrating their support and admiration for their hero, Alex Crivillé, who has historically held the top spot in GP racing, world-wide.
Crivillé put in not only a valiant effort but also an excellent show for his fans as he gained on those in his lead. He skilfully advanced from 12th to 3rd position as fans leapt from their seats with anticipation watching him move up a spot with every lap. Could it be that Crivillé was about to steal the lead position from Rossi, the Italian contendor? With 4 laps to go, fans chanted Cri-vi-llé, Cri-vi-llé!!! He took each bend with confidence and tenacity in a race that thrilled from start to finish, in a show of true sportsmanship. My opinion is that if Crivillé had qualified for 1 of the top 5 positions, he could have easily finished 1st. Had there not been such a huge gap between Rossi and Crivillé during the 27 lap standard, Crivillé may have taken the lead position. All in all, superb race for Crivillé, who has been battling injuries and hadn't been on the podium as one of the top 3 since the 24th June 2000. Congratulations to Crivillé, whom I personally consider Jeréz' GP champion, while hats off to 1st and 2nd place winners, Rossi and Abe!
