The 1991 Vitesse du Mans motorcycle Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 43rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:The beginning of the 1990s marked a golden age for Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The rivalry between Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz was in full flow while Mick Doohan started to...

. It took place on the weekend of 6th-8th September, 1991 at the Bugatti Circuit located in Le Mans

Le Mans

Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...

. France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

500 cc race report

The round was meant to be held in Brazil, but was cancelled for safety reasons.

John Kocinski

John Kocinski

John Kocinski is a retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.-Early years:...

 on pole. Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz is an American former World Champion motorcycle road racer during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Early life:...

 gets the start from Kocinski, Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner

Wayne Gardner

Wayne Michael Gardner OAM is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500 cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class...

 and Wayne Rainey

Wayne Rainey

Wayne Wesley Rainey, born in Downey, California, United States, is a former American Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once. He was characterized by his smooth, calculating riding...

.

Schwantz and Doohan battle for 1st, but at ten laps to go, Rainey just needs to stay in 3rd place to win the championship.

Rainey speculates that Kocinski let him take 3rd so he could win the championship, though he told team manager Kenny Roberts

Kenny Roberts

Kenneth Leroy Roberts is a former motorcycle racer and racing team owner. In 1978, he became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship. He was also a two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship...

 he didn't want Kocinski's help.

Kenny Roberts: "There were a lot of races where we shouldn't have won, and we really wouldn't have won if it wasn't for Wayne. There's a lot of races where had we had anyone else, it wouldn't have happened. Wayne was very, very determined to win it this year. Some years you can say the bikes were definitely better or our engineering was better, but this year Wayne was definitely better."

500cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Kevin Schwantz Kevin Schwantz Kevin Schwantz is an American former World Champion motorcycle road racer during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Early life:...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	47:37.764	20
2	Mick Doohan	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+0.148	17
3	Wayne Rainey Wayne Rainey Wayne Wesley Rainey, born in Downey, California, United States, is a former American Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once. He was characterized by his smooth, calculating riding...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+3.468	15
4	John Kocinski John Kocinski John Kocinski is a retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.-Early years:...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+3.700	13
5	Wayne Gardner Wayne Gardner Wayne Michael Gardner OAM is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500 cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+3.966	11
6	Juan Garriga Juan Garriga Juan Garriga is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is remembered for his aggressive riding style.Garriga had his best year in 1988, when he won three races and finished second in the 250cc world championship to Sito Pons. In 1990, he moved up to the 500cc class but failed to repeat his...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+37.852	10
7	Doug Chandler Doug Chandler John Douglas Chandler is a professional motorcycle racer. He earned a reputation as one of the most versatile racers of the 1980s and 1990s. Chandler is one of only four riders in AMA racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing national wins at a mile, half-mile, short track, TT and...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+38.342	9
8	Didier de Radiguès Didier de Radiguès Didier de Radiguès is a Belgian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing driver.He made his motorcycle Grand Prix debut in 1979, racing in the 500cc class. His best year was in 1982 when he won two races and finished second to Anton Mang in the 350cc world championship...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	+39.290	8
9	Sito Pons	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+1:30.554	7
10	Adrien Morillas Adrien Morillas Adrien Morillas is a former Superbike and Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from France. He competed in the inaugural Superbike World Championship season in 1988, winning one race. His best year in Grand Prix competition was in 1991 when he finished in eleventh place in the 500cc world championship...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+1:45.040	6
11	Eddie Laycock	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+1 Lap	5
12	Niall Mackenzie Niall Mackenzie Niall Macfarlane Mackenzie is a retired motorcycle road racer from Denny, Falkirk, Scotland.-Career:MacKenzie won the British Superbike Championship three times from 1996 to 1998 on a Rob McElnea-run Yamaha team, and the British 250cc and 350cc titles earlier in his career...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+1 Lap	4
13	Marco Papa Marco Papa Marco Papa was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His most successful year was in 1990 when he finished in 13th place in the 500cc world championship aboard a Moto Club Perugia sponsored Honda NS500. Papa perished in a road accident in September 1999...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+2 Laps	3
14	Andreas Leuthe	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	+2 Laps	2
15	Damon Buckmaster	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	+5 Laps	1
Ret	Cees Doorakkers Cees Doorakkers Cornelis Martinus Anthinius Maria Doorakkers is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.Cees Doorakker was the 250cc Dutch champion in 1984 and 1986. In 1986 he also reached the championship in the 500cc class....	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	Retirement
Ret	Jean Philippe Ruggia	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	Retirement
Ret	Michael Rudroff Michael Rudroff Michael Rudroff is a German retired Moto GP driver. He raced his first Grand Prix in 1988, and made one podium; coming third in the 1989 Nations Grand Prix...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	Retirement
Ret	Hans Becker	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	Retirement