MotoGP milestones 1949-2003.

This Sunday at Le Mans the MotoGP competitors will be competing for the honour of winning the landmark 600th premier-class Motorcycle Grand Prix.

The pinnacle of two-wheeled racing was limited to 500cc machines from the beginning of the World Championship series back in 1949 until the start of last year, when four-strokes of up to 990cc were allowed to enter.

A selection of Grand Prix milestones in the premier-class are given below (GP number in brackets):

June 1949 (1) - Great Britain: The first GP in the premier-class, held at the Isle of Man, won by Harold Daniell riding a factory Norton.

September 1952 (27) - Italy: Les Graham gives MV Agusta the first race win in the premier-class, at Monza.

October 1953 (36) - Spain: Fergus Anderson at 44 years old is the oldest rider to win in the premier-class, at Montjuic.

June 1957 (60) - Great Britain: The longest ever GP of 301.84 miles, held over 8 laps of the Mountain circuit in the Isle-of-Man, won by Bob McIntyre

August 1962 (100) - East Germany: Mike Hailwood (MV Agusta) wins the 100th race in the premier-class, at the Sachsenring.

May 1966 (131) - West Germany: Jim Redman gives Honda its first ever GP win in the premier-class at Hockenheim, this also being the first by a Japanese manufacturer.

September 1969 (171) - Yugoslavia: Opatija Godfrey Nash riding a Norton becomes the last rider to win riding a single-cylinder machine.

August 1971 (191) - Ulster GP: Jack Findlay (Suzuki) takes the first win in the premier-class riding a two-stroke machine.

June 1972 (200) - Dutch TT: Giacomo Agostini wins the 200th race riding a MV Agusta, at Assen.

May 1973 (207) - France: Jarno Saarinen scores the first win in the premier-class by a four-cylinder two-stroke machine, at Paul Ricard.

August 1976 (247) - West Germany: Giacomo Agostini scores the last of his record 68 victories, at the Nurbergring, which is also the last victory by MV Agusta and the last for a four-stroke machine before the recent change of rules.

July 1977 (254) - Belgium: The fastest ever GP race was won by Barry Sheene at Spa-Francorchamps riding a Suzuki at an average speed of 217.37 km/hr (135.067mph).

August 1981 (298) - Great Britain: Jack Middleburg becomes the last rider to win in the premier-class riding a true privateer machine, at Silverstone.

August 1981 (300) - Sweden: Barry Sheene wins the 300th GP, at Anderstorp, riding a Yamaha, this is also the last win by a British rider

July 1982 (307) - Belgium: Freddie Spencer takes the first victory for the three-cylinder two-stroke Honda at the age of 20, at Spa-Francorchamps, to become the youngest ever winner in the premier-class.

July 1989 (400) - France: Eddie Lawson, riding a Honda, wins the 400th GP in the premier-class, at Le Mans.

March 1994 (462) - Australia: John Kocinski wins riding a Cagiva at Eastern Creek, this being the last time a non-Japanese machine has won in the premier-class.

September 1996 (500) - Italy: Mick Doohan takes the 500th GP victory in a race cut short due to a rain shower, at Imola.

July 1998 (526) - Great Britain: Simon Crafar wins riding a Yamaha on Dunlop tyres at Donington, the last victory for a rider not using Michelin tyres.

April 2002 (581) - Japan: Valentino Rossi takes the first win under the new MotoGP rules, at Suzuka, which allowed 990cc four-strokes to compete alongside 500cc two-stroke machines

May 2003 (600) - France: (........) wins the 600th premier class GP, at Le Mans.