1.
GV PAN Start of 350cc race
0.10

2.
LV PAN Race in progress with drivers around curves (2 shots)
0.21

3.
LV Riders down straight
0.27

4.
SV No. 2 (Agostini - Italy) on an MV leading from No. 73 (Villa - Italy) on a Harley Davison - the eventual winner
0.30

5.
LV Other riders in pursuit
0.35

6.
SV PAN Agostini leading from Villa
0.43

7.
SV Other riders in pursuit
0.48

8.
SV & LV Spectators watch as bunch of riders come round bend overtaking a cruising Agostini (2 shots)
0.56

9.
LV Villa receives chequered flag
0.59

10.
LV & CU Crowd watching Villa (centre wearing laurels) flanked by Cecotto (Venezuela) on right and Balde (France) on left
1.04

11.
GV Crowd
1.07

12.
LV Start of 500cc race with No. 7 (Barry Sheene - UK) nearest camera getting a bad start (eventual winner)
1.19

13.
SV Race in progress with No. 2 (Read - UK) leading
1.30

14.
LV Crowd
1.33

15.
SV PAN Sheene leading from No. 5 (Williams - UK)
1.39

16.
SV Crowd
1.41

17.
SV Williams showing burned trousers to team-mate & walking away
1.46

18.
LV Sheene receives chequered flag
1.49

19.
SV Crowd
1.52

20.
SC Sheene has champagne poured over him by Cecotto
2.00



Initials CL/1633 CL/1710


Also available in Beta SP NX 267
SPORT: MOTORCYCLE RACING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Italian Walter Villa won the 350cc event of the French motorcycle Grand Prix at Le Mans in north western France on Sunday (25 April). Riding a Harley Davidson he shook off a challenge from his famous compatriot Giacomo Agostini to score a brilliant and unexpected double - having previously won the 250cc event.

In the 500cc race Barry Sheene of Great Britain proved the superiority of his Japanese Suzuki machine, beating 20 year-old Venezuelan star Johnny Cecotto, who was riding a Yamaha.

Both Villa and Sheene overcame bad starts to win. Sheene was only 10th after the first lap of the 500cc race - "The Suzuki is very hard to start" he said afterwards, "but it doesn't really matter. There's plenty of time to catch up."
It took Sheene until the half-way mark to catch Cecotto, but once he was past he opened up a five-second gap. "Then I ceased off a little," he said, "I had no real plan, I just want to go as quickly as possible. This year I want to be World Champion and Johnny is going to be the man to beat."
Cecotto came second in both the 350cc and 500cc races, with Jean-Francois Balde of France third in the 350cc event on a Yamaha and Italian Marco Lucchinelli on a Suzuki third in the 500cc race.