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/127811
But Ward was still coming, and the Honda's presence on his inside flank seemed to pook the leader. He junked the last set of doubles and landed awkwardly in fhe middle of the turn. ow out of control, Albertyn launched his bike through the outside hay bales and landed against the stadium wall as the crowd roared. The mistake shocked even Ward, who was just about to pull the trigger on a winner-take-all block pass before his target left the track. "1 couldn't believe it!" Ward said. "1 had him lined up and I'm sure 1 would've made the pass, but aU of udden he was just faUing off the bike and off the track. He heard me and he panicked, and he leaned over and tried to block me and went right off the track. 1 honestly feel bad that Greg lost that way. Man, he's got to be mad at himself for that." . "I just don't seem to be able to keep from making these silly little mistakes," Albertyn said. "I had it in the bag and I make a stupid, fru trating mistake and it's gone all at once. 1 can't believe it happened again." The move cost Albee the $15,000 winner's prize and sent him and team manager Roger DeCoster back to the drawing board, though rider and boss could take consolation in what appears to be great improvement in the South African's supercross game. While Albertyn was spinning on the bare stadium floor, Hughes rolled past for a quiet second and Tortelli was a well-received third - the best finish by a Frenchman at this race in years. Huffman rode a brilliant set of laps at the end, going from 10th to fourth in the waning moments of the race. A surprised Jeff Emig was fifth. "I didn't even see Damon coming," said Emig who, like McGrath, seemed to have trouble adjusting to the confinements of Bercy's arenacross size. "He was really on the gas and it's hard to tell who's who when you're in all that traffic. But after watching what happened to Albee on the big screen, I feel better about myseU. What a' horrible way to end a race.'1 "I had to start in ,the second row and just went from there," said Huffman, who was competing in just his second supercross event since his frightening crash at the Tampa SX last April. "1 think 1 rode well all night and I'm hoping to get off the gate better tomorrow night. 1 need a good start and not have to work through aU that traffic." The traffic was gone for Huffman and Emig at the end of Saturday's main event, but each of the teammates had to work hard to get themselves into the top two spots. Ward won the first heat race for the second night in a row, while McGrath settled down long enough to win the second heat. Huffman battled successfully against Hughes for the win in the first semi, while Pichon topped Honda of Troy's Mike Craig for the second semi honors. The repechage was led by British ex-patriot James Dobb. Craig holeshot the main event with McGrath a dose second and Huffman third. For three laps Craig led before McGrath outgunned him through the long whoops section. For the next five laps the order remained McGrath, Craig and Huffman, but Huffman and Craig started a back-and-forth battle that had the eager French crowd on its feet and cheering. That battle ended with a Craig fall, which in turn gave Huffman a dear shot at the leader McGrath, who was starting to stumble again with forearm pump. Huffman needed five more laps to dose up the gap on the Honda rider and then made a fair play for the lead with five laps to go. (Right) Larry Ward scored the opening-night win, but a crash later that weekend cost him s shot at King 01 Bercy honors. (Lalt) Damon Huffman came out swinging on the second night, scoring the 25Occclass win.