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/126903
Suzuki's Michele Rinaldi was running second in the first moto before fading back due to a thigh injury suffered during practice. Jackv Vimond (above) went 7-1 in Holland for the opening round win. Gert-Jan Van Doorn (3) leads the start of moto two. World Championship ZSGec MX Series: Round. Vimondwins Dutc:hGP By Alex Hodgkinson VE RAY, HOLLAND, MAR. 9 Frenchman Jacky Vimond rode his works Yamaha to the overall victory in the season's opening round of the 250cc MX G P series. Vimond logged a seventh in the opening moto, which was won by Dutchman Cert-Jan Van Doorn, and then won the second moLO after Honda's Van Doorn crashed 6 while holding the lead. Overall runnerup honors and valuable GP point went LO Dutch Honda rider Leo Combee, while Sweden's Peter Hansson took third on a Husqvarna. Fuel consumption played a major role in the day's racing as everal competitors ran out of gas in moto one, while others stopped for fuel during the second moLO. The opening moLO aw Dutch teenager johnny Verwijst bur t into the lead with Van Doorn second. Vimond, who suffered a broken leg while apparently headed for the World Championship title in the 1985 series, came around 27th at the end of the first lap, having been involved in a multi-rider pileup in the third turn. Van Doorn quickly took the lead for good and Suzuki' Michele Rinaldi took over second, which he held for three laps before he faded to fifth, no doubt due to 'a painful thigh injury he had suffered in practice. Verwijst and his Yamaha moved back into second when Rinaldi began to fade, but Van Doorn was home free. Van Doorn's pit crew signalled him LO slow down LO avoid crossing the finish line just before the 40 minutes were up, thus saving a lap on the race. While Van Doorn was cruising on his final lap, rider such as England's Dave Watson, who was in a solid fourth place, ran out of fuel. What cost Watson what could have been the overall victory - he finished a second in the second moto - was fuel consumption tests that convinced the Honda crew that the 250 tanks would hold enough for a full moLO in the deep Venray sand. Van Doom and Van Mierlo had fitted 500 Honda tanks to their machines, and Watson's crew quickly did likewise before the start of the second moto. Verwijst pulled off another holeshot at the start of the final moLO, but he was quickly passed by Vimond and Van Doorn. The Dutchman let Vimond lead for a lap and then pulled back the lOO-yard deficit in less than half a minute. Vimond was not letting up as he had planned a precautionary stop for fuel and when Verwitjst crashed out and dislocated his shoulder after five laps, Vimond had half a minute in hand on the third and fourth place riders, Henk Van Mierlo and Combee. Watson carved his way into third behind leader Van Doorn and Vimond after a quarter of an hour, and took over second when Van Doorn crashed out of the race on a table-top jump, turning over the lead to Vimond. While several riders topped for fuel, Vimond made up his own mind and took the chance of carrying on. All eyes peered up the track to see if he could make it to the flag and Gallic hearts breathed an audible sigh of relief as the Yamaha with the number two on its plates zoomed into view and crossed the finish line. Watson came home second and only as he dropped his Honda in the pits was the bravery of his ride apparenL Ten minutes from the end of the race he had been struck on the left arm by a rock thrown up by a lapped rider's rear wheel. The heavy bruising on his bicep made it impossible for him to even raise his arm as he lay in hi transporter. Rounding out the top five in the final moto were Combee, Van Mierlo and Husqvarna's jo Martens. Former World Champion Danny LaPorte had a frustrating day. After tarting 28th in the opening moLO and then moving forward just six places, LaPorte went to the pits LO find more speed with a midrace adjustment of the power-valve, but the changes did little good and he again failed to finish in the second moto. • Results OVERALL: 1. Jacky Vimond (Yam); 2. Leo Combee (Han): 3. Peter Hansson (Hus); 4. Jo Martens (Hus); 5. Gert·Jan Van Doorn (Hon); 6. David Watson (Han); 7. Johnny Verwijst (Yam); 8. Peter Johansson (Han); 9. Henk Van Mie,lo (Han); 10. (TIE) Kari Tiaien (KTM)/ Michele Rinaldi (502). 1st MOTO: 1. Van Doorn; 2. Verwijst; 3. Hansson; 4. Combee; 5. Rinaldi; 6. Manens; 7. Vimond; B. Dirk Geukens (Han I; 9. Johansson; 10. Tiaien. 2nd MOTO: ,. Vimond; 2. Watson; 3. Combee; 4. Van Mierlo; 5. Manens; 6. Hansson; 7. Johansson; 8. Arno Drechsel (KTM); 9. Tiaien; 10. Andre Lefovskoi (KTM). World Trials Championship: Round I. Lejeune smokes in Belgium By John Dickinson BILSTAIN, BELGIUM, MAR. 9 Eddy Lejeune, clad in his striking new Rothmans Honda livery, reall y smoked off the opposition on Sunday to win the opening World Championship round of the year in his home country, Belgium. Lejeune has now won his home round an incredible seven times in a row and with teammate Steve Saunders weighing in with a superb third place the new, high-profile Rothmans Honda team was jubilant. Current title holder Thierry Michaud was squeezed into second place by the rampant Honda squad although the French Fantie star still looked every inch the World Champion. Held once again in the Lejeune's backyard at Bilstain, near Verviers, the very first section behind the Royal Dison Motor Club's headquarters proved a stunner with an eight foot near vertical step LO tackle within {eet of the ins cards. With conditions initially very icy, early numbers really copped it here and there were some spectacular, and painful crashes from the front runners. japanese Yamaha star Atsushi hoh received a tremendou roarofapplau e from the massive crowd as he took the first clean on the hazard which featured several slippery drops and climbs following the initial step. Other notable cleans from the nonwork stars came from tall German Udo Lewandow ki, who later retired with an inj ured knee, and local youngster ali vier Clamagirand. both riders Yamaha mounted. The aces duly gave the opening section of the Champion hip year a good long look and then proceeded to make a nonsense of it wi th Lejeune cleaning eHonlessly to the delight o[ the crowd, who regard any thing other (Continued to page 18)