Conditions could hardly have been worse for the opening round of the 1987 500 cc World Motocross Championship. The rain ins Spain had chewed up the track into a quagmire and there were doubts that the meeting could go ahead with many of the top riders far from keen to compete. Thorpe was in top form through the murk. Ismo Vekhoene showed a surprising turn of speed in his transfer to the big class, and he and Hakan Carlqvist (Kawasaki) had quite a contest. The camera crews magnificently capture all the glorious action from this season opener which heralded the beginning of another flat out championship.