Motorcycling: Criville leads world after hat-trick win

ALEX CRIVILLE won the Spanish 500cc Grand Prix in Jerez de la Frontera for the third year in a row yesterday to take the championship lead on his Honda and end Kenny Roberts' hopes of winning the season's first three races.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, team-mate of the injured Australian world champion Michael Doohan, beat second-placed Italian Max Biaggi on a Yamaha by just two-tenths of a second. Criville now has 54 points to Roberts' 53.

Roberts had a nightmare day when his team-mate Nobuatsu Aoki crashed into him on the second circuit of the 27-lap race. Aoki came off worst, fracturing his left wrist, while pre-race championship leader Roberts was pushed into the gravel, but managed to nurse his machine home in 13th place.

At Snetterton, Ian Simpson broke his right leg in a 110mph crash in the British Supersport 600 Championship, which was won by the defending champion, John Crawford.