Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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.. l!") I-; Q,) .!:J o ... u o (Left to right) Jeff Ward. Mark Barnett. Broc Glover and David Bailey blistered the Trophee des Nations competition. (File photo.) TrORhee des Nations Americans victorious By Neil Webster pov AZSKA BYSTRlCA, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, SEPT. II America's all-conquering MX squad swept to victory in devastating fashion to take the Trophee des Nations title for the third year running. The win, coupled with a similar display in last week's Motocross des Nations gives the . dS b h'· 1 f h Ur:lIte tates .ot tIt es or t e thud consecutIve year. 10 The winning team, comprised of Honda's David Bailey, Suzuki'sMark Barnell, Kawasaki's jeff Ward and Yamaha's BrocGlover, moumed their 250cc machines and deall another crushing blow to the Europeans. Onlv the second-place Belgian squad put up any kind of struggle, with 125cc World Champion Erik Geboers winning moto one, and newly-crowned 250cc World Champion Georges jobe laking his Suzuki 1O second behind Glover in molO two. But with those exceptions, it was America all the way. Barnell hit the fr0!1t from the gate a~ race one staned, wllh~obe hard on hts heels. The two Suzuki men fought it out for half the race, jobe inching closer with every lap umil he made his bid and pushed by Barnetl. But Glover had never let the fromrunners outof his sight and he quickly followed the Belgian past Barnell, and moumed his own bid to give America the lead back. With three laps to go Glover slipped by and that was il. jobe crossed the line 20 yards adrift, with Barnell third, Bailey sevemh and Ward eighth. The Americans were in the lead, but with only an eight-point advamage over the Belgians. If the narrow margin worried the youngslaleSidesquaditdidn'lShow, and as soon as the second race got underway it was clear they were going to take their' sixth team trophy in a row. Glover took the lead with Ward second and Barnell third on lap one and the match was over. Geboers lOok the lead at haU dislance. but with Bailey coming through from sixth. the Americans completed the top five places and that was thal. The Belgians weren't giving up, however, and staned to pressure hard before terrible luck put an end to their challenge. First it was jobe's turn as he held fifth on lap three. "I had a small fall and got going again before I was passed, but my lail pipe was filled wiLh stones and when I set off there was no power," said lobe. "I had to stop, find a stick and clear it out before I could go on." That maneuver cost him 20 places and the Europeans were in trouble. Honda's Andre Malherbe was working hard 1O make up for jobe's problems, however. Slicing the field apart after being balked from the stan, Malherbe climbed from 17th 1O c:ighth in three laps before gelling a fiat rear tire. He pulled imo the pits for a wheel change and came out a couple of laps down 1O salvage 21st and second spot for his team, with jobe recovering LO 13th. That was the nearest a European team came 1O upsetting America's apple-carl. West Germany took third, thanks to two superb rides by Honda 250cc GP rider Arno Dreschel, who came from last to sixth in race two after falling in the first turn. Sweden took founh place from Britain by vinue of completing two extra laps when they tied on poims. "h was really hard, we were all tired at the end of a long season, but I never worried about not winning," said Bailey after the garlanding ceremony. Who can argue with that? • Results '.t MOTO: ,. Broc Glo.er (Vom); 2. George.Jobe (Suz); 3. Merk Bernett (Suz); 4. Andre Melherbe (Han); 5. Jeremy Whetley (Suz); 6. Arno Oreschel (Han); 7. Oo.id Boiley (Han); B. Jeff Word (Kow); 9. Oo.e Thorpe (Han); 10. Kun ljungqvist (Suz'. 2nd MOTO: ,. Erik Geboer. (Suz); 2. Word;.3GIOVIIr; 4. Bomen; 5. Boiley; 6. Oresehsl; 7. Rolond Oiepold (Suz); 8. Ke" .on Der Ven IKTM); 9. Corr _ Modelii IGil~ 10. Anders Erikuon (Vom). OVERALL: ,. USA II B~ 2. Belgium (52); 3. W_ GermsnY(73); 4. S_I84~ 5. Gr_lIriUIin (82); 6. rll'\llnd 110llJ; 7.1ts1v (11~ 8. HoI18nd (124).