Preview: Sachsenring MotoGP.

Valentino Rossi's British Grand Prix win may not have blown the championship wide open, but certainly adds another iron to the fire as the MotoGP series heads to Germany.

The experts were split before Donington as to whether Rossi would break his duck in GP500 this season but, now that he has won once, almost everyone expects him to repeat the feat before the end of the year. Barry Sheene has pointed to the Italian's sublime bike control in mixed conditions two weeks ago as the main reason why Rossi will be successful again and again, even if the rider himself isn't so confident of victory at the Sachsenring.

Of all the sixteen circuits to face the Nastro Azzuro Honda team, Germany's is the one they feel least happy about, fearing that it will play into the hands of series leader Kenny Roberts and the more nimble Suzuki.

''When I first saw the Sachsenring, I thought it was too narrow and too short,'' Rossi observed, ''I didn't like it, but then I raced there and changed my opinion. In theory, though, it looks a good track for the Suzuki, but my Honda could be good there too, and I'm in good shape as well.''

Roberts heads for the hills still at the head of the championship and, after a second place at Donington Park, pulling away from closest challenger Carlos Checa. A winner at the 'Ring last season, the American is more confident than the Hondas of doing well this year.

''It's a technical circuit for the rider, but I like the place because it levels things out machine-wise,'' he explained, ''It's so tight that most corners lead into one another, so you've got to hit everything with great precision, and try not to over-ride. There is not much of a straightaway, and that takes a lot of the horsepower stuff out of play.''

Checa, meanwhile, needs to win this weekend, having stumbled and fallen behind Roberts in the title race. One of a decreasing number of riders not to have won a grand prix this season - seven have - the Spaniard now lies 29 points adrift of his rival, but is determined to put both records straight at the Sachsenring.

''I'll try to make up for Donington in Germany,'' he said, ''The championship is still open - Kenny has been fast at some tracks, but it seems that his bike isn't so consistent, and I feel that we are now going to tracks that really suit [the Yamaha].

''I had a good time at the Sachsenring last year. My arms pumped up in the race, but I was fast, and less than a second off the podium. All I want is a dry race. We've had so much rain this year, and racing in the rain isn't fun, but it's more than that. We've had rain during practice at almost every race this year, and that means that we don't get the chance to set the bikes up properly.''

The man most likely to win in recent races almost won in Germany last year too and, despite Honda's fears, could be a force this weekend. Alex Barros has taken three pole positions and a race win in the last four events, and was the biggest threat to Roberts in last year's Sachsenring event, before clashing with the American and taking an eventual eighth place.

Barros' Emerson Honda Pons team-mate also has good form at the German circuit, having followed GP500 rival Rossi home in the 250cc race there last season. This year has been a bit up and down for the older Italian, with a home win at Mugello followed by a hand-breaking accident at Assen. Capirossi is still troubled by the injury - which prevented him from taking part in much of the Donington meeting - but is confident of adding to the fourth place he scored in Britain.

''My hand is not too bad now,'' he said, ''I will not be 100 per cent in Germany, but it is a lot better than at Donington. Every day I go to the Clinica Mobile for treatment, and Dr Costa is happy with my condition. I like the Sachsenring, but don't know what it will be like on a 500. I remember it was hard to pass there last year, so I must make sure I get a good start.''

To see the privateer bikes of Barros, Rossi and Capirossi ahead of him continues to be a frustration for reigning world champion Alex Criville, but the Spaniard is encouraged by the fact that he was the man to chase Roberts home in Germany last year.

''It is not a track where I am that comfortable,'' he admitted, ''but I still aim to be there fighting for the win on Sunday - just as I did last year. I was third in 1998, and second last year, so there can be only one logical result!''

Although the season has proven to be closely fought, there are only a few other riders who can realistically considered a potential race-winners in Germany. Opening round winner Garry McCoy has only scored lightly since South Africa, but feels his style is suited to the tight confines of the Sachsenring, while Max Biaggi is another yet to win in 2000, and intends to put matters right on Sunday.

''I want to move on to Germany and get the result that the team deserves,'' he said after a disappointing season continued at Donington Park, ''Last year I was fast at the 'Ring, and I think we had the best bike/tyre combination for the race, but I fell. We can build on our good work at the track last summer, and, hopefully, we can have a little more luck than we've had so far.''

The final contender for top spot already has a podium finish at the Sachsenring, in GP250, to add to the two he has collected in 500s this year. Third at his home race two weeks ago, Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams knows that the twisting German circuit could be his chance to take an influential win for Aprilia, as the power deficit of the two-cylinder is lessened by the venue.

''The Sachsenring is one of my favourite tracks, and I know that I can get on the podium there,'' he tells Britain's Motor Cycle News, ''And there's no question, if everything goes right on the day, I can win. The way I ride, I pick up speed from mid-corner at full lean and, with so many corners at the Sachsenring, the bike should work really well there.''

The Briton may also be one of the few riders who won't care if it is wet on the weekend, as he proved at Donington that the nimble Aprilia can run with the best of them in mixed conditions.

Another man who really won't mind another wet weekend will be hometown GP250 hero Ralf Waldmann. The German produced one of the most amazing comeback wins ever at Donington Park, lopping as much as ten seconds a lap of leader Olivier Jacque in the closing stages to snatch victory on the very last corner. Third in the corresponding race last year, Waldmann will be hoping to capitalise on the fact that the top two - Rossi and Capirossi - have both moved up to the higher class.

His win in Britain allowed him to make his own, slight, dent, on the championship race, which now features Jacque at the top of the table instead of Tech 3 team-mate Shinya Nakano. The Japanese struggled in the conditions at Donington while Jacque made great progress at the front, and could only manage seventh. There is now a similar number of points between Nakano and the championship lead, with the consistent Tohru Ukawa lurking a further eight behind in third.

The Honda rider will be hoping to improve on his recent German form, while Shell Advance team-mate Ant West will simply hope to make it through the weekend without further damaging the hand he broke at Donington. The Australian teenager has received medical clearance to ride this weekend, and will be looking to repeat the sort of form that brought him sixth there in 1999, and a top four run at Assen more recently.

Waldmann's fellow Aprilia rider Marco Melandri is in a similar position to that compatriot Rossi found himself in prior to the British GP - namely knowing that a maiden win in his new category could be just around the corner. The multi-hued Italian has generally qualified near to the front, but has lacked the ability to convert that into a meaningful result. Nevertheless, a first podium could be a possibility at the 'Ring, to add to his GP125 win there last year.

In the 2000 version of GP125, Youichi Ui is the man of form, coming off the back of a fourth win of the season at Donington. The little Japanese also has a habit of falling off, however, and it will be interesting to see which option he favours this weekend. The Derbi rider, however, has little doubt about which way he wants to go.

''We've won the last couple of races, and lead the championship,'' he pointed out, ''Things couldn't get better, so we can't complain. It would be nice to score a hat-trick and go happily on our holidays [during the mid-season break]. Everybody points out that we are the favourites to win the title, but we don't want to rush things. We must go step-by-step - a strategy that has paid off so far.''

Aprilia will have a better chance of winning in GP125 than it has in GP250 - if normal service is resumed - with Roberto Locatelli looking to regain the championship advantage he lost in Britain. Team-mate Simone Sanna is also keen to prove that his maiden GP win was no fluke, and could do well around the tight circuit.

Honda, however, will be doing everything in its power to stop the Italian marque, with reigning champion Emilio Alzamora hoping to add to his one win this year, and both Nobby Ueda and Mirko Giansanti looking to open their accounts. Indeed, Giansanti, who led the championship prior to breaking his wrist earlier in the year, will be looking to notch his first ever win at this level. The Italian's team-mate Masao Azuma can also not be counted out, particularly if he qualifies well, and finished first on the road in the split race at Donington last time out.