The World Championship disembarks in Europe through the main entrance.
Jerez receives this weekend the first European round with the Repsol riders ready to play the leading role.
Jerez, the Spanish Grand Prix has arrived, bringing along the colour and massive attendance of one of the loudest, most passionate and expert crowd of fans. Year after year Jerez means for teams, riders, mechanics, technicians and all members of the World Championship circus the arrival in Europe, and for most of them it means being nearer home. After the longed for and passionate start of the season in South Africa, the three classes will experience this weekend another passionate duel where the Repsol riders will try to take their part of the leading roles. Two weeks ago, half the planet was waiting to see the fight for supremacy in MotoGP, a war that has just started, but already knows the winner of the first battle, the Italian Valentino Rossi.
For the riders of the Repsol Honda Team, the race in Welkom was not an easy Grand Prix: Barros put his operated shoulder for the first time to the test under real resistance and strength conditions, while Nicky Hayden had never felt comfortable on the South African track. Despite everything, they both showed themselves competitive and, although they were not able to follow the rhythm set by the top three Rossi, Biaggi and Gibernau-, they did show their potential to the rest of the MotoGP riders, finishing fourth (Barros) and fifth (Nicky). They have both left Welkom behind and Jerez is now their main target, although none of them has ever had a successful relationship with the Spanish track. Hayden, who will be racing his second Grand Prix on the Andalusian circuit, has not very good memories of last years race: 19th in the grid and retired from the race. However the rider from Kentucky is in high spirits after the tests carried out only one month ago and hopes to start the European round in good shape. Barros didnt have a good Grand Prix at the Andalusian circuit either; after suffering a heavy crash in the first race last year in Suzuka and seriously injuring his knee, he didnt arrive in Jerez in his best shape. Fifteenth on the grid, the Brazilian rider showed his professionalism and remounted to the fifth position with his Yamaha.
Now, completely recovered of his injuries and after the main test of his shoulder in South Africa, Barros hopes to finally be able to get on the podium in Jerez, something that the Repsol rider hasnt managed to do after his thirteen participations. His best results are a fourth place in 1994 and four fifth places in 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2003. The third Repsol rider in the premier class, MotoGP rookie Ruben Xaus, knows the Andalusian track due to the races he entered some years ago in the Spanish Championship, but not much more. As a current reference he has the IRTA test staged here only one month ago, although the rain hardly let the rider of the DAntin team test as much as he would have liked.
Excitement will be present this weekend in the 250 GP, as well. Sebastián Porto, surprised, as the rest of the paddock, about the meritorious victory of Dani Pedrosa two weeks ago in South Africa, knows that the victory in Welkom could have been his if he wouldnt have made the mistake in the second lap. Leading the race with a bit over a second of advantage in the second lap, a light skid of the front tyre took him off the track, forcing him to rejoin the race in last position. A superb recovery throughout the race allowed the brave Argentinean rider to clinch the final third position. In Jerez, Sebastián Porto and his Aprilia are firm candidates to get back onto the podium. His teammate Fonsi Nieto, who already knows what it means to win on this track since 2002, gets back to one of the circuits that brings him the best memories. After his seventh place in South Africa, Jorge Martínez Aspars pupil prepares his first race of the year in front of the Spanish with big excitement and eager to be again fighting for the victory in a circuit that hasnt got many secrets for him.
In the minor category, Pablo Nieto will try to make up this year for the disappointment he suffered in 2003, when he was just about to clinch his first victory of the World Championship lapping all alone, but the gear lever of his bike broke, dashing his hopes. His teammate Sergio Gadea, who races as a wild card rider at the 2003 Spanish Grand Prix, will try to largely improve his result, twenty-fifth, in order to try to get his first point in the World Championship.
