Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Belgian Eric Geboers moved to within 13 points of his Honda teammate and championship leader David Thorpe with his win in the British GP. World CMlllplonshlp SOOCe MX Series: Round 9 Geboers closes the gap in British GP By Alex Hodgkinson HAWKSTONE, ENGLAND, JULY 13 Winning a photo-finish by half a wheel in the second race of Saturday's Sealink 500cc British Motocross Grand Prix, Eric Geboers ended Georges Jobe's three-moto winning streak and on the HawksLOne Park track 'which was the scene "f' h' I of an horn IC crash o~ IS ast appearance there two years ago, 32 thedimutive Belgian moved to within 13 poinlS of championship leader David Thorpe wilh two GPs remaining. Millions of television viewers saw World Champion Thorpe get up from an awful crash just over two' laps from the end of lhe first race when chasing Jobe hard to actually increase the points gap over Andre Malherbe from two to 10. but the everdwindling advantage over Ceboers has set up a lhrilling climax to lhe world series. "I just got the double wrong," explained Thorpe. "I could never have got Georges Jobe he was riding too welL. I am just happy to have finished fourth in the second race; I didn't have a lot of confidence in lhat race after my crash. "I have never been a crasher and it has happened too often recently. There whole thing is psychological now, but I have three weeks before the final two GPs to sort myself out. I've JUSt got to learn to SlaY on again now!" Is Thorpe worried with his two Honda leammates so close and the final two CPs in lheir homeland? "I think they have to worry about me more lhan I have to worry about lhem," he said. ''I'll do it. I'm not ready lO give up my crown yet. "But perhaps it is Geboers who he must look to most. Geboers admitted that he just couldn'l hold. the pace of Jobe ~nd Thorpe In th fust of two exhtleraang races anhe meuopole of Bri tish motocross, but the man who had the reputation for crashing gratefully accepted the extra couple of points handed to him by Thorpe's crash. In race two he was the first to demote Kees van der Ven, but had to survive a hair-raising la t lap and a protest as Jobe proved once again that he is currently lhe fastest man on the lrack. Wilh two laps to go, Ceboers had seen his 14-second advanlage slashed as he and Jobe raced into the final lap. "The last lap was sheer hell! There was suddenly a whole group of lapped riders to negoliate, and then I lost comrol and smacked my moulh on lhe handlebars," he said. Through the sandpit and over the table top Jobe moved remorselessly closer and in lhe sprim for lhe line it was anybody's race. The judges gave the verdict to Geboersbythenarrowesto{margins, but Jobe felt he had snatched it and the Honda win was only confirmed after a protest from the Kawasaki rider. For Jobe's friend, Malherbe. the race was a disaster. as he came away with only a meag-re 20 points. In agony wilh cramps in his legs after the race, the Monaco-resident explained: "This ~chedule, brin!?ing us back for CPs III Europe straight after America, has been a major problem. I have hardly slept since my return to Europe and the cominual change of time zones must be the reason." . Kurt Nicoll's hopes of improving on his current eighth in the standings was virtually ended when he gathered JUSl uve points after a uoubled day while the Yamaha duo of Leif Persson and Hakan Carlqvist ama sed 20 points apiece, and lhe impressive Mervyn Anstie went home with just half of his possible score after crashing while eighlh in lhe opener. It was Geboers who led lhe charge into lhe Tunnel as the first race started under threatening skies, but Jobe and Thorpe, lhe two faslesl in praClice, were right on his mil. This uio were soon pulling away while van der Ven established himelf in a lonely fourth by lhe end of lhe first full lap. As lhe leaders approached lhe finish line for lhe fifth lime, Jobe dove in ide Geboers to take the lead and Thorpe wasted not time in following through as they dropped down lhe hill. Geboers was unable to stay with the oilier two and at the IS-minute stage he was already five seconds down, but was himself a full 20 seconds up on van der Ven, who in turn was a quarter of a minute ahead of Malherbe, Nicoll, sixth following lhe initial sort ou t, was a pparen tl y set for a good score until rus Kawasaki started to loose wa ter. He was prepared to stop, but was urged to continue by leam manager Alec Wright and aClually came back from I hh to ninth before lhe engine stopped on the half-hour. Gerard Rond was still right wilh Malherbe when his KTM lost power. Water in lhe carburetor was at firsl suspected, bUl after similar problems in race two broken engine bearings were diagnosed. The unresponsive lhrottle had caused the Dutchman to crash on lhe double jump in the opener. Malherbe was not a lhreat to lhe four riders ahead of him and was coming under pressure from Carlqvist - unchallenged as top Yamaha man as Persson suuggled a little who had to dispose of his goggles early on when his roll-offs stuck. Before half distance Carlqvist rounded his old rival at lhe back of lhe track and soon built upan advantage. "I didn't realize that Andre had caught me again when he leapt past on the double jump a few laps later," Carlqvist said, "That was the big difference I was faster round lhe rest of the uack but he was doing lhe double every lap and that just isn't my style. " 0 matter how hard I uy, I can't forgel everylhing I learned, which is thal you should spend as little lime as pos ible in lhe air. I have spent my whole career uying to £latten jumps. "In lhe final two laps I did jump the double as well but at lhe same time Andre started to lake lhe four jumps as twO doubles and there was not enough time to the finish line to pull that back." So Malherbe eventually collected II points from this race as Thorpe looked like taking 17. Then came that awful crash over lhe double which had cost Thorpe 45 seconds by the time he had got up, retrieved his machine and finally kicked it to life. Geboers was by then long gone in a fruitless pursuit of lobe, and van der Ven was also bearing down. The shaken champion just managed to hold off the Dutchman, who himself had crashed heavily on Friday but dismissed it's effect. "It looked far worse than it was, it hasn't affected me today," he said. Pers on was eventually lhe last rider on lhe same lap as Jobe in sevemh afrerAndre Vromans disappeared from that position just afler half dislance wilh broken bearings on lhe crank of his KTM. Anstie, riding superbly, hung on to Persson for most of lhe race and also looked likely to go lhe full dislance in eighlh Spol, but lost comrol al the bottom of lhe hill a few laps from lhe end, shot into the fence and damaged lhe frOnt brake. Erwin Gabriel continued to show lhe promise which has brought rum regular scores lhis year by inheriting thal eighth spot event lhough he was lapped at the 35 minute slage, while Corrado Madill just headed Johnny Ponjee home, lhe Dutchman having surprisingly gone backwards for lhe firsl half hour of the race wilh his wrenched back still painful from a practice crash. The final point went to 19 year-old Michael Larson who had lost about a quaner of a minute wilh a crash after an 18th place stan before tigering back. Laurence Spence, uoubled wilh the rear shock, had hun his left lhi~h early on, and pulled OUl as a result.. Britain's other regular CP scorer Rob Andrews had a miserable start to his homeCP. As George Reiter went down and out in the Tunnel, lhe race two charge was led by fellow KTM man van der Ven and for 14 minutes he slayed in front before Geboers, second from lhe Slart, poun ed. As so often happens at Hawkstone, lhe second race was an endurance test and spiriled individuals were far less in evidence, Thorpe was third for 15 minutes before lobe stormed paSl on ilie approach to lhe Honda hole, and after anOlher 15 minules lhe Belgian had also demoled ven der Ven. With two laps to go lhe immaculate lobe was slilliooking suong, but was 14 seconds down on Geboers before lhe pair Slaged lhal scintillating finish. Carlqvist started to su[[er wilh a stitch after 15 minutes when trying to pull in Malherbe again and lhe Monaco resident looked sel to finish a clear fifth umil he fell at half dislance; from that point on he was never in with a hope of beatingeilher Yamaha. Persson passed Carlqvist on the half-hour and could see Thorpe at the finish as the Englishman took no chances in the final laps of what had been a lonely race once Jobe passed. Vromans was again out with engine problems, but Anstie was in cracking form to lake a deseving eighlh, lhe final man on the same lap as lhe leaders, after Gabriel dropped back wilh a rear puncture and Nicoll got spat 0[[ in the sandpit on lhe final circuit when just ahead of Merv. It was in lhe gully that Andrews saw his point chances disappear. After a "typical" Andrews SlaTl, he was through lO 16lh and about to demote Maddii when the Italian moved over and lhey bolh went down. Meanwhile Larson lost any chance of furilier poims lhrough a succession of falls, And so it is on to Narour wilh Thorpe holding a heallhier advanlage over Malherbe, but Geboers is sneaking up in third spot.. It is still wide open between the three Hondas for lhe crown, but lobe must be rueling ilial injury in uaining for lhe Swedish GP, He is now just36 points 0[£ lhe pace and the fastest man on the track at preSem! • Results OVERALL: 1. Erik Goboers (Han) 17+20=37 pls.; 2. Georges Jobe (Kow) 20>17=37 pts.; 3. K_ von derVenlKTM) 13+15=28pts.; 4. DevidThorpe (Hon) 15+13=28 pIS.; 5. Le~ Peruon(Yom)9+11=2DPls.; 6. Hoken Carlqviot (Yom) 10>10=20 PIS.; 7. Andre Molherbe (Hon! 11 +9=20 pls.; 8. Erwin GlIbriel IKTM) 8+6= 14 pls.; 9. Johon Von Poppel (KTMI 3+7=10 pls.; 10. Mervyn Anotie lKow) 0>8=8 pls.; 11. Werner Siegle (KTMI 5+3=8 pls.; 12. Corrodo Modelii lKow) 7*7 pls.; 13. Kun Nicoli lKow)

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