Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

: World ChampiOnship 125cc MotocrQ$i Series ' Final Round: Belgian GP M T C O S, ':' OO R S .r By Alex Hodgkins o n BORGLOON, BELGIUM, AUG. 28 ree times a silver medalist, Bob Moore finally staked h is claim to gold when he clinched the World Champ ionship with a runawa y firstmoto win, eight years after leaving Californi a and heading east. And just to rub it in, the 27-year-old won the second moto as well, to complete his sixth overall GP win of the ll-round series, l1 (Above) Bob M re celebrates after earni ng his first-ever World Champions hip. oo (Below) Pete r Belrer used 3-3 scores to finis h third on the day, but was fifth In the final standings. MOT01 Although he needed just four points (or a single 12th-place finish) to sew up the title, Moore was takin g no chances, leading the opener all the way. "I like the track here, and once I had the holeshot and got through the first turn clear of the pack, I was on my way to , the title," Moore told the crowd over the P.A. system at the end of the race . In fact the race was almost boring, particularly in comparison with the previous weekend's tumultuous 500cc finale. Mikael Pichon s how ed that he was back on the pace after injury, with a superb ride up the leaderboard to second place, his inside pass on Pedro Tragter at half distance being daring, thrilling and the essence of motocross, The French teenager had extra motivation to ride hard in the Belgian finale; the 12Scc berth in the French team for the Motocross des Nations was waiting as a reward for the highest-placed Frenchman in the series. Pichon started the day two points behind Frederic Vialle, but his 17 points against the nine of Vialle put Mikael six ahead with one moto to go, The two Frenchmen went into the race in a three-way battle with Peter Beirer for the number-five plate, and at first the German seemed to have the best cards as he gated second to Moore, but on the third lap he was down to fourth, "The bars clipped a pile of marker tires," he said. The Suzuki Deutschland star surged back in style, however, and was a valiant third at the finish, riding so strongly that even Pichon could not afford to relax . ' Title candidate Ch io d i was si m ply never in th e h unt. "I just didn't ride well," he explained after struggling to hold off veteran John Van den Beck and a charging Frederic Vialle in the closing laps. The Italian seemed to lose heart when he saw Moore disappear into the distance from the word go. Dave Strijbos crashed out early on, ".' " rIe' I1"Y ' B testing on Tuesday, and I hope that we can ' , 'get the bike ready for my next race, a French " I Ii ,I!I • ' . jnternationat on September,18; said Smets, , _ ,. ' , ' ,"For sure, we have a lot of work'to do, but Italian Alessio Chlodl is tieliE lVed to be 'the ' ,with their knowledge at the factory, plus what man to replac e BobMoore on the 125cc:, we know from olJr twoyears with Vertemati, I" Yamaha for 1995 ; Neith er team ' boss thlnk,we can make a very compemve bike; I Michele Rinaldi ,nor the .ltalian rider would sat down with the Vertemati brothers on Sun-, confirm the signing o'n Sunday, for fear that d ay evening in HOlzgerli~gen a~d we,agreed the news would detract from the title win of ' -topart ongood terms Immediately, rather Bob Moore, Moorehas already signed a new : tha!! stay ing togeth~r until my c,o!!tra~t ,contract with .Rinaldi,'and the signingof Chio- ' expires on, OCt~r 31" Sme,ts was riding nls di releases him for the 250cc class, Andrea Vertematl prac tice bike With a Husaberg Bartolini has been offered another contract ' engine in the support races at Borgloon: for the 250s"but at' reduced 'terms for 1994 " , specification bikes, which means that there is , Swede ,Marcus Hansson confirmed that he " still room for anothertop rider in the Squad: is to test the Vertemati this autumn. "' will be Along with every other manager, 'Rinaldi is going to Italy totestthe bike, and I win take', trying to sign , French ' sensatlon' Yve s my Honda with me for companson," said the , Demaria , and hopes to name his squad after ' newly crowned '500cc Worl,d cnamptcn . ';i 'the Gennan 250cc GP: " ' CoQvinced myself earlier this year that I could' ,, not ride four-strokes when I rode the Has- : , Andrea Bartoliniwill miss the final 250cc GP " aberg, but .tne yertemati revs rnucn.h,igher after bniaking his Ieft collarbone in'a training ' a~d J" an:', going to, the ;testswitnancpen ' , crash on Friday, August 26.,Chiodi will switch , mind. '. " ' from a 125 to take his 250cc berth on the ltal· ' " ia n MX des ' Natio ns ' tea m; with Mauro ; joti~50n Suzukiteam boss Sylvain e>e'boers Dal'Lago now on the ,125, Fran'co Rossi will ' sa id that he had already riegotiated 'termS to ' still. ride a 500, ' retain the se rvices of Mamlcq ,Bervoets and Werner De WIt; but that one ptace lnthe ' The i~le,winning Yamatias of Bob Moore will. ' team was stnlrree afterlhe departure of Greg be in action at the MX ,des Nations. Peter , Albertyn. '" ,,' , ' " ," " , Johansson will'receive a complete bike to' , , ' contest the race for the' Swedish team, while Mlckae'l, Plc'hon finished ihe 'season with ' England's Paul Malin will fit the spare motor ,:' more Points than' Frederic Vlalle, and was irito a standard frame, Incidentally, M alin is , thus named as the 125cc rider for the French almost certa in to switch to the 125cc GPs ' MX des Nations,team. It now ap pears that. next year, ' , ' the spot will. be fill.ed by Vialle, however, as, : " ", ' , Yves Demaria,.the team's 500cc entrant: ' Belgian J,oel Smets has signed to'ride for the ...., r~ p o rt e d l Y sa id that he would 'not 'ri?e if ' '" Husaberg factory, "I go to Sweden 'to start PiChon was on the team, f ' 44 , " " ' , ' ,

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