Barros picks 2002 from impressive Assen archive.

When Alex Barros contests the 75th Dutch TT on Saturday it will be his 16th consecutive 500cc/MotoGP race at the famous 6.027km circuit - but the 34-year-old veteran hasn't lost any of his great respect and enthusiasm for one of GP racing's most impressive 'battlefields'.

"I love to race at Assen because the crowd is so passionate and pure, they love the sport. They have great respect for riders and we all feel respected when we race there," said Barros.

But it is the track itself that provides the real thrill and one of the most demanding challenges of the 17 circuits on the MotoGP calendar. "I like it because it's a very difficult and technical circuit. Assen is narrow and you have to be very precise, a circuit where you need a lot of physical strength, especially in your arms as you are off the throttle often at Assen.

"Assen has no uphill or downhill sections, but it does have a cambered surface that you have to cross, which makes precision vital. The track it has no real straight line there's off-camber bends, so you need to be precise in your riding, because you're not going straight at any point.

"It's just a sequence of curves and changes of direction which all link in to each other you are always moving the bike around. It's a place where you can't open the throttle hard, not like say Mugello where you jump on the throttle really hard," commented Alex.

Barros is one of racing's true gentlemen with an open and friendly personality and is popular with rivals and fans alike. The ever cheerful Brazilian can look back on his Dutch TT record with satisfaction - having scored one win and four additional podium finishes.

The most memorable moment, on paper, was his victory in 2000 (middle pic) but Barros prefers to name his second place in 2002 as his best race: "The MotoGP race in 2002 (top pic) was incredible. I was racing a 500cc NSR500 two-stroke Honda against Rossi on the RC211V two-stroke. It was a very hard race and I held Valentino for a long time. I don't think I ever rode better than that at Assen."

The Brazilian has raced an impressive range of equipment at Assen: Four-cylinder 500cc two-strokes at Cagiva and Suzuki, twin and four-cylinder 500cc Hondas, plus the 990cc Yamaha four-cylinder M1 and the Honda RC211V 5-cylinder four-strokes.

Meanwhile, Barros has reserved judgement on the two minor changes to the classic circuit since last year: "I don't know yet if the changes have resulted in short straights. You can't really know until you race on it. But I don't understand why they changed the layout of such a great track!"

Regardless, he goes into Saturday's anniversary race with high hopes of a repeat of his 2000 success. With his track knowledge and his Camel Honda as fast as anything it faces he will be favoured to take a podium place.

He won the Portuguese GP in April and took a fighting fourth place at the last round in Catalunya he now holds fifth place in the point's standings a position he hopes to improve upon this Saturday.

"I want to enjoy myself in Assen and have a good race at the front for a crowd who love our sport profoundly," declared Alex.