MELANDRI AND ELIAS PUT ON A TENACIOUS DISPLAY
GRAND PRIX OF PORTUGAL - MOTOGP RACE
 Team
Honda Gresini's riders gave their maximum in today's race
as they tried to put the shine on a difficult weekend.
Marco Melandri was the star of a spectacular race as he battled
bravely with Nicky Hayden for fourth place before scrapping
it out with John Hopkins for fifth. Marco rode around his
set-up problems to overcome the American in a grippnig race.
Toni Elias made a good start and was up to eighth position
when his race was spoilt somewhat on the fourth lap when he
was touched by another rider and forced off track, causing
him to drop to thirteenth place. Showing his typical determination
and character, Toni fought back to clinch a creditable eighth
place.
MARCO MELANDRI (5th in the race, 6th in the championship
on 137 points): "The problems we had in practice
resurfaced in the race and the chattering meant that I couldn't
ride the bike as I wanted to. I had two good battles with
Nicky and then with John, where I was faster in the first
part of the track but then lost out in the second part. I
think we went with a rear tyre that was a little too hard
for the conditions and the track characteristics today but
I gave my best and now I'm looking forward to Motegi."
TONI ELIAS (8th in the race, 11th in the championship
on 71 points): "It has been a tough weekend.
We've had traction problems since Friday and only partially
solved them. Then in the race I had to deal with another rider
punting me off track when I was in eighth place after making
a good start. I went straight and came back onto the track
in thirteenth but I put together a good recovery and got back
to my original position. I'm disappointed because this is
a circuit I like a lot and I could have done much better."
FAUSTO GRESINI: "Marco had a great
race and gave it his all. Unfortunately a chattering problem
that we were unable to solve has spoilt his race. As far as
Toni is concerned, he was limited after being sent wide by
another rider but he showed the tenacity that we all know
he has to fight back from thirteenth to eighth."
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