Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

RSUPERCROSS Supercross du Parc des Princes e Jean-Michel Bayle didn't disappoint the French fans as he won the main event. App roximately 45.000 spectators eventually filled the Parc des P rin ces Stadi um to wat ch supe rcross racing in Pa ris . Bayle shin~s in Paris homecoming By Alex Hodgkin son PARIS, FRANCE, SEPT. 7 he abse nce of many American stars signed up to race the inaugural su percross in Paris ' Pare des Princes stadium co uld n't spoi l th e evening for the near-capacity crowd of 45, 000 as Jean -Michel Ba yle, th e darling of th e Parisienne pub lic, devastated the oppositio n to confirm hi s ranking as the world's top supercross rider. On the John Savi tski-built track, universally acclaimed as the best and most demanding this year and the first in Europe to ever be comparable to those found in American stadiums, Bayle headed two-time Camel Supercro ss and 250cc National Champion J err Stanton on three occasions, and it seemed unlikely that any of the absent stars could have offered the reigning Camel Supercross and 250cc National Champion from Manosque in southern France an y greate r challenge. Stanton ended up fall ing two -th irds of the way through th e mai n event and was forced to withdraw, bu t by then he was well beh ind anyway. Belgian Stefan Evens, wh o had won bo th of hi s qual ifiers in th e European-style program wh ich req uired riders to qualify for th e mai n through both ' heats and semis, hel d orr Stanton's a tte m p ts to take h is second-pla ce po sition away. Everts , th e I25cc World Cha mpion , was the only rider not la pped by Bayle in the mai n event. Best American was Dean Matson in th ird place. The lo ng-haired privateer T 20 holeshot the mai n and held o n superbly throug ho ut the race, and was only lapped by Bayle on th e last lap . But what about the o ther Americans wh o had signed con tracts to co mpe te in the even t but weren 't present? j eff Ward and Guy Cooper, both in contention for National titl es, were denied permission to race by their employers, Kawasak i and Suzuki , for fear of i njury. Yamaha withdrew Da mon Bradshaw, saying that he had to attend a se m in ar, w hil e Suzuki 's Mi ke La Rocco and KT M's Mike Fish er were absent with no explanat ion. American Honda assisted Bayle and Stanton, as H on da cons u ltant Roger DeCoster comme nted, " If we sta n worrying so mu ch about the riders getting injured, we will be stopp ing them fro m testi ng soon. I think it is importa n t to th e sport tha t riders compe te o u tside of their Nationa l Champions hips." America ns weren 't the o nly noshows as th e organ izers also had trouble with som e European en tr ies since riders of Italian-based team s were req ui red to compete in an Italian event on Sunday. The missing riders couldn 't spoil a superb evening, th ou gh , as the entire sho w was presented wi th traditiona l French £lair. An nouncer Francis Mag' nanon did hi s best to bu ild up a frenzy with the spec ta tors insi de th e largest soccer stad i u m in Paris. Despite working from early in th e morning as he practiced announcing to empty stands duri ng qu alifyin g fo r th e French cha m pionship, he was still go ing strong at the midnight fin ale. Clad in a spotless wh ite su it and using a cordless m icro ph on e, Magna non sp ra n g fro m o ne stage to another d uring the show and was trackside throughout mos t races. During the main event he conti nually leapt onto the tra ck itself, at one point standing j ust inches away fro m Bayle in the whoops as he incited th e crowd ,to pay screaming homage to their hero. . The three heats, which transferred the top six finishers to o ne of two semis, were composed so that Suzuk i's G P factory stars Evens and Donny Schmit faced th e top non -H onda U.S. stars, Larry Ward and Dou g Dub ach , in th e first two races befor e the first of three Bayle-Stan ton con fron tations in the third heal. Ward had no chance to challenge winner Everts in the first heat af ter he spent two laps working into second, where he would finis h. Schmit, who is more at ho me o n ou tdoor tracks, wasn 't much of a rival for Dubach in heat two as th e Yama ha rider burs t th rough from a poor stan. Matson had holeshot the heat, but cra shed whi le try i ng to hold off Dubach , wh o crossed the finis h lin e ahead of England's Warren Edwards. Bayle and Stanton p ut o n a show in th e third heat with a si e-by-side battle that seemed authentic to all but the most observa nt. Bayle beat Stanton to the finish lin e, as Ron Lechien , Brian Swi nk, Doug Hen ry and Denny Stephenson trailed far beh ind at the finish. 'Everts had an easy ru n in the first semi, in whi ch the top seven went to . the main , and he fin ished first ah ead of Steve Lamson and Step hen so n. Bayle pa ssed Ward and Brian Man ley early in heat two to sprint away to the win. Stanton made hi s way to second before the finish while Ward hung on to thi rd. T he main event turned ou t to be anothe r dem onstration o f Bayl e' s su periority. Matson grabbed th e holesho t but was powerless to ho ld orr either Bayle or Everts as they passed him on the firs t lap. Matson put up a stong defense against Sta nton, and when Sta nton got by for th ird Everts proved to be an even mo re tenacious riva l. Wit h. Bayle disappeari ng int o the distan ce, Evens held hi s lin e time and again as Stanton conti nually pu lled a lo ngside but not ahead . After fin all y getti ng h is nose in front, Sta nton co uldn ' t shake Evens orr and tried an insi de pas s to put a lapper between them . But Sta nton clip ped the slower rider and went down hard. Although he remounted in th ird pl ace. Stant on pulled out two laps later. That left Matson in th ird behind Evens and runaw ay winner Bayle. Matson was chased hard by Ward and Dubach at th e finish. Ward, who fin ished fourth , had dam aged his front brake lever in an early collis io n whi ch left h im 14th o n la p o ne , wh il e Dubach 's hopes of th ird ended wh en he enco untered problems in the whoops and was for ced to seule for a fifth-place finis h. l:N Resu lts H EAT I: I. Stefan Everts (SUl ); 2. Larry War d (SUl); .5. Steve Lamson (Han) ; 4. Buddy Amuriea (Yam); 5. Christian Chaumard (H us): 6. Axd Holvoet (Ka w) : 7. Alexa nd re Ch apuis (5 u1.); 8. Ni co las Cai lly (Han) ; 9. j ero me Mil ani (Yam); 10. Rick Ryan (SUl ): II. GIM) Bell (Hem ); 12. Erik Va n Klin ken (Hen): 15. Thierry T ourte (Ya m). HEAT 2: I. Doo g Dobach (Yam ); 2. Warre n Edwards (Yam); 3. Darry l Britt on (Ya m): 4. Don ny Schm it (S Ul); 5. Dean Matso n (S U1): 6. Brian Manl ey (Kaw ); 7. Ya n nig Kerv ella (Ka w); 8. J acques T emorere (Suz); 9. Xavi er Fabre (Kaw); 10. Rolf Dupa sq uier (Ya m ); I I. Vann Dornand (Hon); 12. Lindo n Hefferman (Kaw); 13. Char rel Sw«b« Kaw); 14. Thierry Godfroid (Kaw); 15. Alwin Van AsteJ (Kaw). HEAT 3: I. Jean -Mich el Bayle (Ho n); 2. Jclf Stan ton (Ho n); 3. Ron Lechien (K.aw) ; 4. Brian Sw ink ( Ho n); 5. Doo g Hen ry (Yam ); 6. Den n y Step henso n (SUL); 7. Freder ic Thiervoa (SU1); 8. Cyril Porte (SU1); 9. Fredd y Verstrat en (Hon); 10. j ohnn y Goudard (KTM) ; II. Frederi c Boll ey (Yam); 12. J ohn Van den Berk (Suz): 13. Bruno Guyard (Yam). Q UARTER FINAL I: I. Alexa ndre Chapuis: 2. Yan ni g Kervella : 3. jacq ues Timo rere; 4. Rolf Du pa sq uier; 5. Rick R ya n; 6. Li ndon Hefferman: 7. Jerome Mila ni; 8. Xavier Fa bre: 9. Erik Van Klinken: 10. Nicol as Caill y; I I. Glen Bell: 12. Yann Domand. Q UARTER fr.\lAt. 2: I. J ohn Van den Berk; 2. Cy ri l Po rt e: 3. Fred er ic Tb ie rvca: 4. Fr eddy v ers caren: 5. w eroee DeWiu (Kaw); 6. Thierry Godfroid; '7 . Johnny Go uda rd ; 8. 01a=1 Sweebe; 9. Alwin Van M td; 10. Bruno Cuvard, SEMI] : I. Stelan Evttts: 2. Sieve Lamsorx S. Denny Stephenson; 4. Yann Cuedard; 5. Ol ivier Perri n; 6. Bria n Swink: 7. Daniel Obe lisco; 8. Frede ric Vial1e: 9. Mich el Pichon (Ho n); 10. Cyri l Porte; I I. Rolf Du pa sq uier: 12. Buddy Ant una; 13. Freddy v er straten : 14. Alexa nd re Chapuis; 15. Axel Holvcet : 16. Warren Edwa rds. SEMI 2: I. J ean -Michel Bayle; 2. Jell Sta nton: 3. Larry Ward; 4. Ron Lechi en : 5. Dean Matson ; 6. John Van den Berk: 7. Doug Henry; 8. Donny Schmi t; 9. Christian Chaumard; 10. Brian Man ley; I I. Frederic Thiervoz; 12. Darry l Brinon ; U. R ick R yan ; 14. Jacques 'Timorere: 15. Thierry Bethy : 16. Do ug Du bach ; 17. Were" Dewiu, LCQ: 1. Dou g Du bach ; 2. Frederic vl alle:S. Donn y Schmit ; ... Chri stian Cha u man: 5. Warren Edwards; 6. Buddy Antunez; 7. Mickael Pichon ; 8. Darryl Britt on : 9. Rolf Dupasquier; 10. Cyril Pone; 11. Wern er Dew itt: 12. Axel Hol voet: 13. Freddy Verstraten: H . Th ierry Bethys: 15. Brian Man ley: 16. Ri ck Ryan . MAIN ; I. Jean -Mic hel Bayle (H o n); 2. Stefan EV

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