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/126921
American Bobby Moore (66) leads the 125cc pack that includes John van den Berk (5) and Anto Pantilla (39) in the Swedish Grand Prix. World Championship 125cc MX Series: Round 8 Van den Berlc sweeps Swedish GP . By James Derek VRIGSTAD, ~WEDEN,-JULY27 Holland's "other sensation," 19-year-old John van den aerk captured the Swedish 125cc Grand Prix with a pair of impressive wins. The Yamaha-mounted Dutchman rap down American Bobby_ Moore in moto one, then fought off a 12 furious 40-minute-Iong attack by fellow countryman and series poims leader Davey Strijbos to chalk up the sweep. With trijboscurremly in litigation with the FIM over eight eries points lost at the Spanish GP in June, van den Berk theoretically ha moved into a tie for the number one spot with just four rounds left. The protest involves a spectator who helped Strijbo push hjs downed Cagiva in the first race at pain. The track officials ruled that the on-track assistance disqualified trijbos and voided hi eighth-place finish. The eight points were then reissued to trijbo ,tentatively, upon his appeaL A final FIM decision will not be reached until August. At any rate, van der Berk's pits were calling the leaderboard tied in anticipation that Strijbos will lose his case. The other two comenders for the title, Cagiva pilots Pekka Vehkonen and Massimo Contini, each lost valuable ground in Sweden. Defending champion Vehkonen separated his shoulder _on the first lap of timed trainingand was forced to the sidelines for the day. Continj was all but written off as far as the title goes after bike trouble saw him earn just five qP poims. Moore is showing continued improvement on the European circuits after his earlier inj uries faded. He led the first mota for fi ve convincing laps before Seltl ing for third, then ran in the top 10 in mota two until a rear tire puncture ended hjs day. Th ong and windy Vrigsrad circuit consisted of steep, choppy hills and several high-speed stretches. The loamy terrain, similar to that of a Carolina red clay track, meant for some serious berms in the -sharper corners. Lapped traffic tended to bottleneck many of the turns for the leaders late in the mOlOS, but the proto-typical European course still made for some outstanding racing, and 12,000 loud and rowdy Swedish fans came out to enjoy the sundrenched hillside racing. A the riders jetted out the long start straight, Moore stormed his Suzuki imo the lead from a tight inside starting spot. Top gun on the KTM team. Finland's Arto Pantilla, tucked in behind Moore for econd with va.n den Berk, Italian Guiseppj Andreani, and Holland's latest wunderkind, Pedro Tragter, following. The backward-falling gate wa jammed with quick-starters. Among those stuck were top-10 comenders Alain Lejeune, Mike Kouki,. and Strijbos. . A Moore et a framic early pace, van den Berk slipped the Pamilla and pulled in behind Moore to check out the American's lines. He stayed close to the uzuki's rear wheel, then blew by on the roughe t hill on the track halfway through lap five. Moore stayed close for a few more go-a rounds before gradually losing sight of the leader. Strijbos was £lying through the pack, caroming the works Cagiva off the track-side walls and other riders as he tried to race back imo con ten lion. From the 30th position on lap one, Strijbos' progress saw hjm go to 18th on lap two, 14th on three, and then up to lOth on lap five. While Lejeune gave up on the pack, Kouki also started making up positions. He registered 12th on the fifth lap. At the halfway mark, van den Berk seemed coment to slow the pace and hold h is seven -second lead on Moore, who was himself being freight-trained by PantiJla, Tragter. and Pekka Vehkonen's cousin, Ismo. Further back,