Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

field to lead 125 and eighth overall. But even at that rate, Tortelli did not feel like he was at 100 percent. "That was not the best 1 can ride because 1 crashed in practice and 1 did something to my knee," said Tortelli, downplaying his own remarkable ride. "In the first laps it was hard for me, but then 1 felt okay and 1 rode very good." By the end of the moto Tortelli was fifth overall, sitting just 16 seconds behind the winning 500cc motorcycle. Lamson's first-ever Motocross des Nations moto was an admitted eyeopener for the newly-crowned U.S. 125cc National Champion. He was able to catch and pass Everts and then methodiqllly cut through the field to second. But Tortelli proved to be too fast for the 24-year-old Californian, and so did Everts. "1 expected the 125s to be pretty fast, and it was," said Lamson. "1 gave it all 1 had. Those guys could keep their momentum up really well in the corners where 1 couldn't. They ride really well without berms, too. The track is just so much different than what we ride on in the States. Honestly, 1 was going pretty much as fast as 1 could go. 1 mean, 1 was trying so hard to catch them but there was just these little areas where they would pull me each lap, like in those turns where they would carry the momentum. "1 got hung up with 500s and that really affected me. A few times 1 would have a guy passed and then 1 could just feel him come up behind me on the hills to pass me back. 1 would try to get into his line but, man, they'll mow you over. Those 500s can do about 30 (mph) faster that 1can going up those hills." Everts repassed Lamson just before the halfway mark and started to pull away in a futIle bid to catch the leader. In the end the Belgian superstar crossed the electronically-timed finish line seven seconds behind Tortelli and 13 ticks clear of Lamson. Dutchman van Rees finis,hed fourth after putting a temporary scare into Lamson. At the head of the pack Smets was pulling away as Hughes worked for a way around the Honda of Lacher. He made his move in the first 10 minutes and then held p~ce with Smets until a charge by the Kawasaki-mounted King put him on the defensive. Hughes withstood the furious attack by' the Kiwi and (Above) The wildly popular "StefUn" Everts ran second In both 125cc motos. This was his first major 125cc outing since the''92 MX des Nations. (Right) Pit Belrer (14), Aodrea Bartolini (59) and Jeff Emlg (5) lead the second moto through the tricky, uphill first turn. (Below) Riding In his first MX des Nations, Steve Lamson finished third 125 with 3-3 scores. ended up opening some more breathing room by the end of the race, but Smets was seven seconds clear of the American at the finish. "1 was about fifth off the gate but then 1 passed a couple of guys right away on the first downhill," said Hugh~ es, who, like Lamson, was making his Motocros~ des Nations debut. "1 got past that Lacher guy on another downhill and then 1 felt like 1 was startirig to catch Smets until 1 started tightening up. Believe me, it's hard to ride a 500 when your forearms are pumped. King came up on me but then 1 calmed down a little and left him, but I wasn't strong enough to go back after Smets because of my arms. I figured second would be good enough." When asked if he was impressed with Hughes' first major 500cc outing, Smets said, "No, not really. I was riding the way that 1 always do in the GPs and the 500cc level is pretty high, as you can well see. We are faster over here than some Americans think." After one moto the Belgians totaled three points, the Americans had five, and the French, by virtue of TorteIli's win and 500cc entry Mikael Mascmo's sixth-place ride, had a total of seven points. The defending champion British could only manage a fifth (Malin) and a seventh (Paul Cooper) for 12 points. Italian Andrea Bartolini raced into the steep left-handed fitst turn at the front of the second 125/ 250cc moto with Emig and Bervoets flanking him. On the way back down the washboarded hill, Emig jumped past Bervoets, as did Frenchman Yves Demaria, the pre-race 250cc favorite. Within a lap Emig and Demaria disposed of Bartolini and started into a long-awaited rematch of their '93 des Nations battle in the 125cc class. But Germany's Pit Beirer had another plan for the outcome. After four laps in fourth, Beirer went ballistic, passing the three Yamahas of Emig, Demaria and Bartolini to seize the lead. A late charger in the 1995 250cc World Championship series, the Hondamounted Beirer had a total of two moto wins and no overalls this season on his way to a fifth-place finish. But in this race he was the fastest man on the track. Within a few laps he was 10 seconds clear of everyone. Emig was impressed. "That guy was haulin' ass!" complimented Emig later. "He was just on it. 1 was riding a lot of lines that weren't the best ones out there. Once 1 saw where everyone was going, 1picked it up some and 1 definitely loosened up some. 1 started flowing better and 1 was thinking that I was going to get right up on Beirer. 1 was thinking that he might get a little conservative and 1 could come up and shock him and make it exciting. Instead 1 got a couple of lappers in some really bad spots and lost two or three seconds all at once." "1 caught up to Emig and 1 tried a few times to pass him but it was very difficult to go by him," said Bervoets of his encounter with Emig. "The track was one line in many places and it was difficult to pass fairly. 1 stayed calm and took my third place for the team." Ernig held on to second at the finish line with a five-second deficit on Beirer. Bervoets finished four more seconds back while British rider Kurt Nicoll placed his 250 in the number-four spot. Then came an out-of-sync Demaria, who nearly suffered a major embarrassment by getting beaten by the lead 125, which

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