McCoy wins in Portugal

Garry McCoy rarely looked like losing his lead

Australia's Garry McCoy beat world championship leader Kenny Roberts to take the Portuguese 500cc Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Yamaha rider took the lead on the sixth lap of the twisting Estoril circuit.

And from that point on, McCoy was rarely threatened as he clocked up his second win of the season.

Roberts' second place on a Suzuki extended his championship lead to 46 points over his main challenger Valentino Rossi.

Brilliant

The young Italian Rossi produced a brilliant ride through the field to take third place on a Honda.

Rossi finished narrowly ahead of fellow Italian Max Biaggi on a Yamaha.

Frenchman Regis Laconi came in fifth on another Yamaha, with Honda rider Alex Criville sixth.

Roberts has 194 championship points with just four races left.

Earlier, Japan's Daijiro Katoh on a Honda led from the start to win an incident-filled 250cc Grand Prix.

Katoh, who recorded his second victory of the season, finished more than 10 seconds ahead of France's Olivier Jacque on a Yamaha.

Olivier Jacque extended his lead in the 250cc championship

But championship leader Jacque extended his overall advantage over his nearest rival, team-mate Shinya Nakano of Japan, who crashed out in spectacular fashion on lap four.

Nakano, who like Jacque had made a poor start, went down heavily after hitting the bike of Japan's Tohru Ukawa ,who fell when leading.

Italy's Marco Melandri was third on an Aprilia, with Anthony West of Australia fourth on another Honda.

Jacque heads the championship with 221 points. Nakano, who escaped with a bruised elbow, is on 194 and Ukawa on 185.

In the 125cc event, reigning world champion Emilio Alzamora was victorious.

The Spanish Honda rider finished ahead of Italian Roberto Locatelli and France's Arnaud Vincent, both on Aprilias.

Locatelli leads the championship on 180 points, with Japan's Yuichi Ui 15 points behind in second, and Alzamora third on 151.

Leading results from the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril on Sunday: 500cc (28 laps, 117.096km)

1. Garry McCoy (Aus, Yamaha) 48.07.663
2. Kenny Roberts (US, Suzuki) 48:12.604
3. Valentino Rossi (Ita, Honda) 48:12.845
4. Max Biaggi (Ita, Yamaha) 48:13.387
5. Regis Laconi (Fra, Yamaha) 48:21.422
6. Alex Criville (Spa, Honda) 48:23.085
7. Tadayuki Okada (Jap, Honda) 48:23.088
8. Jurgen Goorbergh (Holl, TSR-Honda) 48:23.439
9. Norick Abe (Jap, Yamaha) 48:27.286
10. Alex Barros (Bra, Honda) 48:27.506

Leading world championship standings (after 12 races):
1. Roberts 194 points
2. Rossi 148
3. Checa 132
4. Capirossi 126
5. Abe 113
6. Barros 110