Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Thierry Michaud took the new Fantic 300 to its first win in the Spanish'season opener. World Trials Champ Eddy Lejeune won his first-straight Belgian round. World Championship Observed Trials Series: Round 2 . Lejeune unbeatable in Belgium By Mike Rapley BILSTEIN, BELGIUM, MAR. II Having Belgian rounds, foolish 26 won four successive World Championship it would have been to sugge'st that Eddy Lejeune, riding on his own back doorstep, wouldn't add another to his list of victories. That he did in the second round of the 1984 series came as no surprise, but whereas in the past there have been some suggestions that observing decisions went in his favor, this time Lejeune won on ability alone. On the day, Eddy was in a class of his own. His win with 66 marks lost to the runner-up Thierry Michaud's 92 a ugurs well for a third successive World Champion hip tille. Michaud was the winner the previous week in Spain and looked good. In Belgium, Michaud also looked good, competitive and a possible winner. If the Frenchman looked that able, just imagine the style of riding Lejeune was showingl just about every section clean by Lejeune seemed pure magic. The knack of being able to hop from rock knife edge to rock knife edge, balance, turn, grip and pick a path through the most awful jumble of rocks is practiced to a degree by many riders, but none can hold a candle to Lejeune. As he.signed off at the finish, he left the others wondering just what they have to do to stop him. If one type of section suits Lejeune less than others, it is the straight forward type where there isn 'tthe opportunity to practice his trick riding skills. There were some sections like that in Belgium and Lejeune treated them with contempt. Ignoring Lejeune, who was the best individual on every lap, and concentrating on the others, the . competition was between younger riders Michaud, Philippe Berlatier, john Lampkin and Andreu Codina. None are yet 20 years of age and they have a tremendous amount of talent. Michaud, now with a win and a second, looked the best with Berlalier running a close second. Berlatier's Italjet is a dog on wheels, pri ncipally through bad preparation more than anything else. There are those who say if he was to get aboard a better, wellprepared bike, then he would ride belleI'. John Lampkin has everything going for him, a good machine, the experience of a couple of years of world competition and a family name to live up to. john Boy, as he is affec- tionately known, seems to lack the consistency to win or finish second to Lejeune and that is his greatest weakness. Codina scored his first points in pain, then came for some more in Belgium. He has trick riding talent and after a hard wimer of preparation looks as if he will become good - very good - soon. Belgium proved particularly unhappy for America's Bernie Schreiber. Unfortunately, on the damp rocks of Belgium. Bernie didn't look half as good as he did in Spain. This was reflected in his eighth place finish. American Curl Comer, riding a machine carrying both Armstrong and Can-Am logos, struck problems early in the first loop when a welded seam on hi bike's muffler broke. An obviously disappointed COmer reI ired before lhe end of the loop. Results 1. Eddy tejeune (Hon) 68; 2. Thierry Micheud (Fen) 92; 3. Philippe Berletier (Ite) 97; 4 .. John tempkin (Fin) 114; 5. Gilles Burgll (Fin) 115; 6. Eddy Moermen (Mon) 117; 7. Bernerd Conlonni.... (Fln)119; B. 88fnie Schreiber (SWM) 120; 9. Steve Siunders (Arm) 125; 10. Andreu Codinl (Mon( 126; 11. Toni GorgOl (Cob) 133; 12. Renllo Chie· berto (Fin) 136; 13. Jonny Andersson (Vlm( 138; 14. Denilo Gllee..i (SWMI 140; 15. Jeen Morie tejeune (Mon) 147. . WORtO CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. (TIE) Lejeune/Michlud (37(; 3. Berillier (28); 4. Schreiber (23); 5. 8urgll (21); 8. Lem""in (20); 7. Codinl (17); 8. Slunder. (16); 9. Moermen 113); 10. Gorgot (1 1); 11. Cordonnier (10); 12. ITIE) Lui. GeilichlAndersson (B); 14. (TIE) Geleeui/Chieberto (6). • World Championship Observed Trials Series: Round 1 Michaud on top in Spain. By Mike Rapley OLOT, SPAIN, MAR. 4 The new Fan tic 300, recently introduced in Europe, wasn't accepted too well by the discerning British. French and Italian trial riding public. But at the opening World O1ampionship round in Spain, Frenchman Thierry Michaud laid 10 res I any doubts when he took a standard production machine to victory. It was a fairy lale win for Michaud, who campaigned a SWM jumbo last year, as he had only signed for the rival Italian factory 10 days prior to the event. The financial problems at SWM forced Michaud to look elsewhere for a ride, with him joining Famic who already has a host of supponed riders on their books. Michaud, already tipped as a possible su'ong challenger to defending World Champio~ Eddy Lejeune, was one of the top riders Famic needed to join Gilles Burgat, john Lampkin and Bernard Cordonnier. The choice proved wise as Michaud won by just tw.() marks from Honda-mounted Lejeune and America' former World Champion Bernie chrciber who stayed faithful to the big WM. Following the demise of the SWM factory. chreiber and Italian Danilo Galeani have been backed by SWM's former trials team manager Pietro Kuciukian, a Milan dentist. He managed to secure private sponsorship [or Schreiber and Galeazzi for the year, which has effectively given Bernie lhe impetus to continue lhe series rather than r@lUrn to America as he first indicated when SWM collapsed. Spain is always a classic opener to the eason with huge crowds, big sections and tremendous atmosphere. This year was no exception and with fine warm sunny weather for the first tim~ in three years, the crowd. was even bigger. They had a tremendous course to watch and with 80 riders competing the quality of riding was high. Michaud, Lejeune, Schreiber and Philippe Berlatier, a Frenchman on Italjel, looked good right from the stan and indeed the trial was fought out between these youngsters. Schreiber in panicular was going well and he was unlucky nOl[o annex second place, fin;llly losing out to Lejeune on the greatest number of cleans tie-break. America had another representative in the trial in the form of Cun Comer who has traveled to reside in England until after the Scollish Six Days Trial. Cun plans to ride all six World rounds prior to the Scollish and then ride the Six Days before returning home. Comer finished 28th in Spain. Spain is often a good place to judge form and whereas last year Berlatier proved to be lhe surprise package, this time the youngsters who looked good were Spaniard Andreu Codina and Britain's Steve Saunders. Codina is a former bicycle trials champion and has appeared on both Spanish and British television performing his feats. It has taken him some months to adapt 10 motorized trials riding, and though he looked good last year, still failed to gain any points. However, a winter riding hard has developed his talent and his emergence into fifth place in Spain proved he has a bright fUlUre. Exclusion for lateness hit several riders in Spain when they found lhe seven hour, 20 minute time limiltoo tight. Those most noticeably af ected were Pascal Coutourier, another young Frenchman who looks good and Fred Mi haud, elder brother of Thierry. • Results 1. Thierry Michaud (Fan) 66; 2. Eddy Lejeune (Hon) 68; 3. Bernie Schreiber (SWM) 68; 4. Philippe Sedalier (Ita) 75; 5. Andreu Codina (Monl 79; 6. Gilles Burget (fanI19; 7. Steve Saunders(Arm)86; 8. Louis Gallach (Mer) 87; 9. John Lampkin (Fa.n) 87; 10. Toni Gorgot (Cob) 90; 11. Johnnie Anderson IVlm( 104; 12. Dlnilo Galeau; ISWM) 107; 13. Eddie Mormon (Mon) 107; 14. Renata Chiaberto (Fan) 108; 15. Bernard Cordonnier (SWMI 111. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANOINGS: 1. Michaud (20); 2. Lejeune (17); 3. Schreiber l151: 4. Sarlstier (13); 5. Codlna 11't: 6. Burgat (10); 7. Saunders (9); 8. Gallach 18); 9. LImpkin (7); 10. Gorgo' (6); 11. Anderson (5); 12. Gllel..i (4); 13. Mormon (31; 14. Ch;abeno (2); 15. Cordonnier (1).

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