Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126634
(Top) In a dramatic swirl of roosting m ud and loam , American Danny laPorte chases an unidentified rider. Warming up for the 250cc World Championship, laPorte's best finish was a third in the second mote.' (A bo ve left) laPorte and fe llow American J im Gibson (64) get underway in the first moto. They were half of the Yamaha team that placed second overall beh ind the Suzukis. (Above right) Defending 125ccWorld Champ Eric Geboers (1) rode an a 125cc machine to an fifth in the second moto. New Suzuki 'n der Ivan V den Broeck (9 1 ) won the first moto and placed seventh in the second. Tropbee des Margues MX Jobeleads Team Suzuki to win in Belgium By Henny Ray Abrams VORSELAAR , BELG IUM , MAR . 20 Suzuki 's Georges lobe led teammates An dre Vromans, Eric G eboers a n d Harry Everts to a n o-contest win in th e seve n th an nual Trop h ee des Marq ues team motocross a t Vorse22 I ' laa r. j o be's solid 3-3 performa nce, wit h back -up from .a " tl ( t ' J I} • 1) I) I seco n d moto win by Vroman s, a 5-6 ta lly by Evens. and a fifth .:" t. r s ~ 4 r 1 i ~ " '1 ~ ' "1 a 1) :, " I ~ l I by Geboers in the second mo to gave Suzuki a 16-37 win over the Yamaha team o f Wo rld Champion Danny La Po rt e, J im Gibson, H a kan Carlq vist and Johan Martens . Third went to the KT M team with 58 poi nts. It was the fou rt h time Suzuki h as won th e prestig ious.race a n d th ird yea r in a row. Vro ma ns was th e overa ll wi n ne r last year. Sta rt ing ga te p laceme nt was determ in ed by team q ualifying wher e th e to ta l time of th e fou r rider s was added up a nd the lowest time got the better spots. Suz u ki ' s n umber o ne tea m wa s 12 seco nds better than th e Yamaha I tea m , bu t th e individua l h o no rs went to fo rmer Wor ld Champion Andre. Ma lhe rbe. T he two-time cha m p was o u t fo r o n ly th e seco nd tim e th is year o n his new wa ter -cool ed H onda 500cc class works bike. It was easi fv the fas test bike on th e co urse a nd hi s q ua l ifyi ng rim e o n rhe rna n-rnade Vorse laar track was a full seco nd beu er than Vrom an s. Down th e sta rt stra ig h t i n th e fir st I r H r J;J .. i v l e r r r i j j; ~ 61 - l r-r rn oto Ivan Van den Broeck led the 40 rid ers fro m the ten teams into the fir st hairpin tu rn o n the deep , CUlled track. Malherb e was righ t th ere in seco n d. wi th Ma rt ens and Car lqvist giving Yama ha a boost . bu t Suzuki p ackin g th e m idf ield with Vroma ns, J obe and Everts. Geboers wasn ' t fa r behind, but L aPorte got a bad sta rt a nd G ibso n a n even wor se o ne . With th e o pe ni ng o f the I 25cc GP of the season co m ing the foll owing week in H o lland, both G eboers a nd Gibson o p ted for 125's a nd wer e more co nc erned with d ial ing th em in tha n bei ng co m pe ti tive with the big bo re mach in ery, a lt ho ugh G eboer s fifth in th e second mot a. was im pressiv e. Th e deepness o f the tr ack gave the 1I 8-liter bik es more th a n th ey co u ld handle i n spots a nd both Geboers a nd Gibson spent a lot o f time fann in g th e cl u tch a nd p addl in g o ut of the co rners . " T h e bi ke's tot all y new thi s yea r; fra me a nd engi ne . It 's a rotary-va lve engine and we wa nted to get i t so rted . : b .I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~)JJ ;, i ~ I ibl ( ~ f