Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Rounds 1/2: Barcelona, Spain By Davey Coombs NOVEMBER 5-6, BARCELONA,SPAIN merican Honda pilot Steve Lamson and French hero Frederic Bolley sha red upset wins at the first two rounds of the 1994 Cam peonato d e l M und o d e Supercro ss, held in Barcelon a, Spai n. Lamso n wo n the Saturd ay evenin g opener after holding off a fierce late-race atta ck by two-time U.S. Sup ercross Champion Jeremy McGrath, who suffered a costly po or start on the na rrow Barcelona track. "I would have to say tha t this is the biggest su percross win of my career," said Lamson, who has never won a 125 or 250 main eve n t in the U.S., bu t has mad e the pod ium cou n tless tim es. "I just hope tha t I can do this in America A next year." (Above) Team Hondall-8OO-COLLEcrs Steve Lam son scOred the first supen:ross win of his caree r on the opening night of racing. (Below) Frederic Bolley (15) holeshot Sunda y' s fin al and led wire-to-wi re. Lamson (22) and Doug Henry (4) were close behind at the start. . Lamso n might ha ve also stood atop th e po di um after the Sunday fea tu re, had a rear flat tire not knocked him out of the ear ly going. Lamson's withdrawal, along with a massive first-tum collision tha t claimed McGrath, Mike laRocco and many others, left hol eshot-man Boll e y in cha rge o f the 20-lap ma in ev ent . The Chesterfield Yamaha rid er rode an error-free race and was never headed, though McGrath might have run him d own after another amazing charge thr ough the pack. McGrath's 1BOD-COLLECT/Honda teammate Doug Henry finished third on both nights of racing. The even t was held at th e modern Palau Sa n t [ordi Stadium, bu ilt jus t a few ye ars back for th e 1992 Summer Ol ympic Garnes. The sa me flo or that hosted USA basketball's original "Dream Team " of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson wa s covered with dirt and banners in pr eparation for a d ream fie ld of internation al s u pe rcrossers . In addi tion to McGrath, laRocco, Lamso n and Henry, we re AMA Nation al race rs Jeff Emig, Larr y Ward, Mike C raig, Damon Huffman , Ryan Hughes, Jeff Matiasevich, Jimm y Button and Mike Jones, plus U.S.-based Pedro Gonza lez (fr om Mexico ) and Ja m es Dobb (fro m Grea t Britain). Amo ng the international sta rs on hand were Frenchm en Bolle y a nd Yves De ma ria, Bel g ium ' s Stefan Everts, Italy's Alessio Chiodi and Dutchman Pedro Trag ter. The prom oters even brought superc ross legend Gu y Cooper out of retirement for the weekend's doublehead er. The short track was nothin g short of spectacular. A hairpin first tum, a sho rt row of whoops, two triple jumps and an over-under b ridg e were the high ligh ts o f the layout, thou gh th e most significant featu res would prove to be the tigh t ba nked turns . It was in th ese corners tha t aggressive ride rs like McGrath and laRocco we re able to force passes on an o the rwise one-lined track. Lap tim es hovered a round the 39-second mark throughout the weekend. Saturday's program opened with a fireworks and laser ligh t show before the riders were introduced to the crowd of about 10,000 fans . The nam es of McGrath and LaRocco were left out unt il the spotlights hit two rep lica motorcycles and riders swinging down from the rafters. The stunt men on the bikes ~ung themselves into all kinds of wild cross-ups before being lowered to the floor. After the actors ran off under the grandstands, thereal American champions rode out onto the track for a parade lap and introd uction. Some of the fans were fooled by this European trickery; this Cycle News journ alist was not. An extraordinary post-race jumping contest on Sunday capped the weekend. Privateer Jones knocked off such popular leapers as McGrath, Cooper and Gonzalez with his over-th e-side bridge jump and a front brake, fron t somersaul t. Gonzalez was second with an almost totally inverted whip-it and a laid-over nac-nac, McGrath wa s th ird wit h his signature nac-nac and the new "Superman Air," which he could not fully accomplish du e to the size of the jumps. SATURDAY With 42 riders on hand, an extended . qualifying system of heat and semi races was employed to narrow the field to 16 riders for the main event. The winners of the first three hea t races were Noleen Yamaha-mounted Ward, two-time 125cc National Champion Henry, who narrowly beat laRocco, and crowd favorite McGrath, who edged out Honda of Troy's Craig in the fastest of the three mangas, or hea traces. After a set of second-chance heat ra ces, called repescas, the first of two semifinal races saw Em ig pull the holeshot, Belgian star Everts quickl y put the pressure on the American and passed him for the lead , seemingly taking the wind out of Ernig's sails. Ernig faded back to sixth in the field , complaining later on of an inability to find his rh ythm on the short, jerky course. . But six riders transferred directly to the main, saving Ernig the inconvenience of having to ride the super repesca, or lastchance qualifier. Everts led Ward all the way to the checkered flag, even though the American stuck his wheel in on the #2 Kawasaki several times. Henry bettered Demaria for third with Suzuki-mounted Huffman fifth. In the second semi, Button pulled the holeshot from the far outside, railing the banked wall and corning out ahead of a first-tum stack-up that was not avoided by McGrath, laRocco, Cooper or South African Colin Dugmore. Lam son and Craig moved around the flu-ridden Button and sta rte d in to th eir own battle. McGrath and laRocco moved thr ough the field together, tou ching together in several com ers . laRocco finally got the better of his rival a nd sco red fo urth behind Lamson, Cra ig and th e wildly popular Gonzalez. Button grabbed the sixth and final transfer spot. In the super repesca, Bolley was the vlctor, followed by the Yamaha-mounted Matiasevich , Hughes and French rider Guedard . Among those who did not make the first fou r transfers to the main event wer e Chiodi, Cooper, Dobb and Jones. Button once again used his risky outside line to slingsh ot into the lead as the main event field leaped into the first set of whoops . Henry, Belley, Lamson , Craig, Everts and .laRocco filled in the next five spots while McGrath snagged ano ther rider in the first tum and was back in 12th place after one lap . A pileup halfway through the first lap caus ed some controversy when Henry was forced off the track, around the traffic, and jumped back after the following jump. AMA rules allow for supercross riders to re-enter the track at the first safe opportunity; FIM rules say that the rider must go back on where he carne off. "I don't think I had an advantage or

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